The Days of the Unknown
by DARKSOMEONE41
Summary: They are a goverment-assembled team of monsters. Even the most human of them are warriors dark souls fear. Even so, their lives aren't so black and white. They are undefeatable. They are strong. They are family. They are Team Unknown. (Contains YouTubers)
1. Breaking Up With Myself

**Hello my Mortem Venators! Welcome to a one-shot series! Now, I think it's about time to give my new favorite team a name. My favorite team is my Amnesia and Automatic characters: Ashley Melias, Jerome Aceti, Tyler Associa, Ty Axhel, Adam Demonii, Kyle Ronic, Tiff Hudson, Mitch Hertz, and Jason Crock. These last names are obviously completely made up and this is for a reason that I'm not really going to go into. This series are going to be one-shots between this team. I think I'm going to name this team…Supernaturally Unlimited. Sounds kinda stupid actually… I'm not good with names. If you guys have team names for this group, can you leave them in the review section or send a PM? Please? Don't be shy. NO IDEA IS STUPID. I WON'T MAKE FUN OF YOU. I SWEAR. So, without ado, here is my first chapter. Enjoy. R&amp;R!**

**Breaking Up With Myself**

Ashley sat in her room, alone and in the dark. The only source of light came from a small candle on her nightstand. She was dressed in her pajamas: comfy, black, fuzzy pajama pants and a Doctor Who TARDIS t-shirt. Her mascara was running down her face, blended with tears, and she didn't feel the need to wipe it at the moment.

The only person home at the moment besides her was Tyler and she had no clue where he was or doing. She knew Tyler understood the fact that she wanted to be alone. Ashley knew this because he would've come up a long time ago and asked if she wanted to join him. Whether it was to talk, play, or watch a movie together, Tyler kept a person occupied if he knew they needed it. Right now, Ashley did not. The biggest clue was probably the fact that she was sitting in her room, in the dark, in her pajamas, when it was only six p.m.

In her hands, Ashley held a photo of her and a boy. Both of them were perfectly happy and smiling as if they didn't have a care in the world. It was funny because at that point in their lives, everything was wrong. Ashley had just joined the team and was actually making a difference in the world, especially in Kroak City, Redwood Central, Belladonna Kingdom, and Coal Ark Village. Her boyfriend at the time, Daniel Finizio, wasn't pleased with that. Ashley saving the world meant less time for them to be together. Instead of cherishing his moments with her, they argued and most of time, it got so physical. Ashley would come back to the base, limping, bleeding, wincing, and sometimes even half-conscious. Even then, Ashley refused to have her friends worry and told them that she had everything under control.

She didn't.

Daniel turned to alcohol and smoking. He got even worse by the minute. Ashley came back to him so many times (which was so stupid of her) and Daniel would attack her every visit verbally, physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally. When she returned to base, she would be in such a weak mental state, but by morning, she was perfectly fine again.

It was a dark time at the base and in Ashley's life at that moment, no matter what Ashley did to make her friends smile again. It should have been the other way around. The team should have been making Ashley smile. That's not how it works in the base though. Therefore, Ashley had a lot more on her plate than she let on. The team knew something was off about Ashley and they weren't happy that she wasn't sharing. If only she had let them help her.

She should've let this go a year ago...but no. A year later and she was still crying over him. The man who had cost her so much pain was dead. That's not what she was crying over, however. This man, Ashley knew the kind person Daniel once was…and yet, she was the one who killed him. It wasn't intentional. She would never hurt someone unless they did something that was not legally permitted.

It happened when she went to break up with him. Ashley knocked on the door and he answered, the smell of liquor lingering on his breath and body. Daniel yanked her into the house and slammed the door. During this period of time in her life, Ashley felt worthless. She couldn't save herself from the man she loved so, _so_ much. Daniel had slammed her against the wall and raised his hand. Before he could make his move, Ashley told him the thing she had been dreading to say.

_**FLASHBACK**_

"_Daniel," she gasped. "I'm breaking up with you. I'm sorry, but it's over." Daniel's eyes widened and dropped her to the floor. Ashley fell onto her bottom and stared up at her frozen ex. Daniel left the room and a minute later, a gunshot sounded from the living room. Ashley never moved so quickly in her life. _

_She ran into the living room and found Daniel dead on the floor. A Desert Eagle was held loosely in Daniel's hand and blood was pouring out from a single hole in his head. His eyes were open and full of sorrow._

_Ashley slid to her ex-boyfriend's side and cradled him close to her chest. She sobbed for a long time, long enough for the team to come looking for her. They found her two hours later, still sobbing and holding Daniel. How she had not run out of tears by then remained a mystery. The team was beside her in seconds, pulling her gently away from the body and calming her. Jason had been the one to call the police and Tyler was the one who carried her out of the house. Ashley had asked Tyler to bring her to her room, incapable of standing. Tyler obliged and Ashley locked herself in her room for days._

_She had killed her ex._

_**END OF FLASHBACK**_

Ashley looked at her dead ex. Daniel's blond hair, blue eyes, tan skin, slim figure, beautiful personality, and big heart made him perfect. That's what Daniel is in Ashley's eyes to this very day. He would never be different to her.

_Knock, knock._

"Ash?" Tyler's soft voice called.

Ashley started. _'Where did he come from?!' _ She cleared her throat. "Yeah?" She called back.

"Are you okay in there?" Tyler asked. "You haven't come out in hours."

Ashley sighed. "Yeah. I'm okay."

Tyler hesitated before asking, "Can I come in?"

Ashley looked around at her dark room. "Yeah. Sure."

Tyler opened the door and was immediately greeted by darkness. The only source of light was the melting candle. Beside that candle sat his friend, who truly looked a mess. Ashley's face was smeared in mascara and her nose was red. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy from crying. She held something in her hands but Tyler couldn't make it out in the dark. There were bags under eyes, indicating that she had cried herself into exhaustion.

Tyler's eyes softened at the look of remorse on Ashley's face and her condition. He walked past her and into the bathroom, causing Ashley to become confused. She heard toilet paper unrolling and the sound of the sink turn on then quickly shut off. Tyler returned with two pieces of toilet paper, one wet and one dry. Tyler crouched in front of her and used the wet piece to wipe away her mascara stains before using the dry piece to dry her face. Tyler brushed the toilet paper gently across her face, careful not to hurt her with harsh movements. He knows what today is. Tyler takes special care into remembering important dates. Today a year ago broke Ashley's heart and hurt her to no end. The pain lasted for two weeks and a year later, the pain still hadn't subsided.

When Tyler was finished, he stood up without a word and walked back into the bathroom. He returned empty-handed and caught her staring at what he now recognized as a photo of her and Daniel. He sat beside her and drew her closer to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder and they sat like that for a while. Tyler didn't mind though. He would wait as long as it took Ashley to calm down. She acted like she didn't want anyone near her but she did. She really needed someone right now and Tyler was proud to be that person.

Ashley finally withdrew herself about forty-five minutes later. "Sorry," she apologized, wiping her nose with her palm even though there was nothing to wipe.

Tyler shook his head. "Nope."

Ashley looked at him in confusion. "What?"

The teen chuckled and smiled, looking at the girl next to him. "No you're not. You're not sorry."

Ashley frowned. "Yes I am. What are you talking about?"

Tyler stood up. "You're not sorry because there's nothing to be sorry about. Ash, you loved Daniel more than anything in the world. You knew who he was like before he turned to smoking and alcohol. No matter how much he hurt you, you kept trying because you knew who he really was on the inside. You stayed with him for as long as you could endure. You could've had him arrested for assault but you didn't. It wasn't your fault that you couldn't endure it anymore." Tyler smiled sadly. "None of this is your fault. Daniel is dead, yes, but at least he knows you loved him so much. And if he doesn't, then maybe he wasn't the right guy for you."

Ashley stared up at Tyler. _'Are you sure he's only eighteen?!'_ She was silent for about half a minute before she launched herself at Tyler. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she buried her face between his neck and shoulder. Tyler's arms immediately wrapped around her back tightly, letting her know that it was okay to let Daniel go.

They held the embrace for a few minutes before Ashley let go. Tyler looked into her red eyes, which were beginning to clear.

"You okay now?" Tyler questioned.

Ashley nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Tyler. I really needed it."

Tyler smiled. "Always willing to help, Ash. Now I better get downstairs and start dinner before the others get back. They'll be back soon and starving." Tyler looked at Ashley. "Wanna come help me or do you want to have some more time alone?"

Ashley replied, "I'll be down in one minute. There's something I need to do." She took a quick glance at the burning candle.

Tyler nodded. "Alright. See you downstairs," he said before leaving.

Ashley walked to her nightstand and knelt in front of it. She placed the picture in front of the candle holder before folding her hands and closing her eyes in prayer. 'Daniel, I know you're gone now and I don't know how you feel about me but I want you to know that I love you. I will love you forever and always. I'm sorry but right now, you're holding me back from moving on. It's time to let go. I love you. Love, Ashley.'

Ashley grabbed the picture and candle and walked to the window. Wax was covering the entire candle holder, making her fingers burn for a moment when she touched it. She opened the window and put the picture to the flame. With a deep breath, Ashley threw the burning photo out into the night.

"I love you and I have to let you go," Ashley whispered as she watched the photo burn and float in the air. The photo was engulfed by flames before it even hit the ground. "Good-bye, Daniel," Ashley sighed before closing the window and leaving the room of darkness.

**I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter. I put my heart and soul into this so please review and tell me what you thought of it. Also, I NEED SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TEAM'S NAME. NO IDEA IS STUPID. DO NOT BE SHY IN DONATING NAMES. YOU MAY BE PICKED AND YOU WILL GET FULL CREDIT. Until the next chapters, stay safe, take care, God bless you all, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**


	2. Rotten: Death's Apprentice

**Death's Apprentice**

Coughing and hacking was heard from Jason Crock's room. It had been sounding like that for four days now. Every now and then, vomiting could be heard from behind the oak door. It was harsh, and the other residents of the household cringed every time they heard a sick noise sound from the room upstairs. Everyone had brought Jason Crock medicine, hoping it would cure whatever illness he had. Nothing seemed to work however. Perhaps it was just the common cold, something that had to wear off on its own. No. Everyone who heard Jason Crock cough knew it was something worse than a mere cold. It was a disease that was probably not yet uncovered, and if that were the case, there was most likely no cure. Jason Crock could die today… and there was nothing the supernatural residents of Kroak Forest could do.

Adam Demonii knocked on the door reluctantly, waiting for an answer hidden in the coughs. When his presence was summoned, Adam pushed open the door. He was greeted by the sight of a rather pale Jason Crock. The teenager's cheeks were flushed and he seemed to be gasping for air between coughs. Jason knew his time was ending, or at least, that is what he wished to believe.

"Hey Jason," Adam whispered, approaching the younger's bedside. Jason lifted his head slightly to acknowledge Adam's presence. Adam laid his hand on Jason's forehead, feeling for a temperature. Adam did not appreciate this illness Jason has come down with. On the outside, Jason was basically on his death bed. However, if you laid a hand on him, he was as warm as he would be on a normal day. It honestly pissed Adam off that his best friend was dying and his body wasn't doing its job to fight off the illness. It was as if Jason's mind either wanted to die or it was unaware that it was under attack. Whatever it was, it wasn't helping Jason.

"Jason?" Adam asked. Jason looked up at Adam briefly before launching into a coughing fit. Adam sat on Jason's bedside. "Tyler is at Belladonna Kingdom with Mitch. They're looking to see if any medic knows about this."

Jason opened his mouth a minute earlier and gasped out, "Adam, no." He was quickly engulfed by another fit of coughing, cutting off what he had to say next.

"No?" Adam asked. "No what, Jay?"

"I'm not *cough* sick."

"Then what are you?" Adam questioned.

'_What am I, indeed,' _Jason thought.

"It surely looks like you're dying so I refuse to believe you when you say you aren't sick," Adam countered.

"There are other ways to die," Jason reminded softly. "Sickness, overdose, murder, suicide…"

"Yeah well, you haven't taken drugs, no one is touching you, and there's nothing you're doing that's killing yourself so." Adam responded, putting down options that Jason suggested except for the first. "Jason, you're the smartest one here. How are you refusing the most logical answer?"

Jason looked Adam dead in the eyes. "Something I've learned over the years is that the most logical answer isn't always the correct one."

Adam opened his mouth to respond when Tiff walked into the room.

Her soft green eyes looked on sadly at Jason. "Hey Jay," she greeted. Jason waved back before she talked to Adam. "Tyler and Mitch are back. They have nothing."

Adam sighed. "All right. I'll be down in a moment." Tiff nodded and left the room. Adam turned back to Jason. "What's going on, Jason?"

Jason couldn't even look Adam in the eye after that question. He didn't look anybody in the eye for the rest of the day. God knows the supernatural beings of the house tried to help Jason, but only Adam and Ty knew that their efforts were wasted on the wrong solution. Adam had told Ty about what Jason had said and they knew that Jason was hiding something from them. The way he couldn't look any of them in the eye anymore gave the supernaturals the idea he was ashamed perhaps, or maybe he did want to die. Whatever it was, the supernaturals couldn't find out if Jason didn't cooperate. Instead, they had to listen to wretched coughing and violent vomiting.

* * *

Jason waited patiently for everyone in the household to finally go to sleep before getting out of bed and leaving the room. It was a struggle to stifle his coughs and to walk silently down the hall. He managed to leave the base silent enough that he didn't disturb the residents with supernatural hearing.

Jason stumbled across the yard and deep into the forest until he reached a meadow. It was a meadow that only monsters or supernaturals could see. Fortunately, not everyone knew about it. It was called Monster's Meadow. It wasn't a scary name, certainly not creative, but it matched the scenery quite well. The grass was dead, yet gray. The trees were bare and limp. The animals were just skeletons, no meat or flesh. To a human eye, the meadow was alive just like the rest of the forest, and the animals were perfectly fine.

Jason stumbled across the dead grass, hearing the wind howl and scream in his ears… literally. He walked until he finally found what he was looking for. A human skull rested right at his feet, as if it was put there for his very use. Not too far from the skull was a mound of cursed dirt, perfect for using.

Jason grabbed the skull and placed it perfectly on top of the mound of dirt. He took out a cigarette lighter and lit the skull aflame. The skull burned blue and smoke arose from the eye sockets. The smoke formed a mythical being that not many people knew existed. They were supposed to be only myths but they were real. A grim reaper, no, _the_ Grim Reaper stood in front of Jason.

The Grim Reaper had a black cloak that floated behind his and covered his face. His scythe was darker than night itself and clean. His hands, the only part of him that was visible, were gray and rotting. The skin was peeling away, revealing red splotches. His eyes were red but they weren't entirely visible. All in all, he looked exactly how the myths interpreted him to look like.

Immediately, Jason bowed, unfazed by the wretched smell The Grim Reaper casted upon the meadow.

"My Lord," Jason whispered. "I have arrived."

"**I can see that. Where have you been? Your stats have dropped dramatically," **The Grim Reaper said in his low voice. **"You know what you must do, Jason, if you want to survive."**

"My Lord, I can't take it anymore. I hear them in my sleep. I can't do this anymore," Jason pleaded.

The Grim Reaper looked at the supernatural in pity. **"If it was up to me, Jason, you would be set free. But it is not. You signed the contract."**

Jason stared in horror at the monster. "No I didn't! That was my father!"

"**Whoever it may be," **started The Grim Reaper. **"Your name is on the contract. Therefore, you must kill at least once every year or you will die within one. I am sorry, Jason. It is what it is. I will help you with this kill if it will help you."**

"Why are you helping me?" Jason whispered.

The Grim Reaper sighed. **"I am your mentor. I understand what it is like to hate who you are. Do you have the letter I sent you?"**

Jason nodded and pulled out a roll of parchment from his pocket. In truth, the parchment had been sticking out of his pocket uncomfortably this entire time. Jason unrolled it to see black letters scribbled neatly across the paper. "John Arkwood. Age forty-three. Cause of death: heart attack. Permission to appear: Required." As he read, a scythe similar to The Grim Reaper's appeared beside him. Jason grew to eight feet in height, a Reaper's height. Jason turned a deathly pale and he suddenly had on a black cloak. He could be mistaken as The Grim Reaper if it weren't for his skin, lack of glowing eyes, and lack of smell.

The difference between The Grim Reaper and a Reaper is that The Grim Reaper can be in multiple places. He carries out multiple deaths at once. He also has the ability to kill without his scythe. The Grim Reaper couldn't die. No matter what anyone did, they could never kill The Grim. Of course, those who tried were about to die, so perhaps they weren't at full strength. Whatever it may be, Reapers had to be careful or they would lose their life.

"**Are you ready?**" Grim questioned, raising his scythe.

Jason rose, the scroll disappearing in a puff of red smoke. "I suppose."

Grim nodded. "Let us go then." The two death hunters were about to leave when a voice was heard.

"Wow. Look at you. Looking all snazzy in your black robe. You look like a Dementor from Harry Potter."

Grim and Jason turned around to see Adam and Ty standing at the edge of the meadow. Ty seemed to be staring incredulously at Adam, so Jason could only assume that Adam was the one who spoke.

Sure enough, Ty said, "Adam… Just shut up." Adam opened his mouth to argue, but Ty clamped his hand over it.

"What are you guys doing here?" Jason asked, glancing nervously at Grim from the corner of his eye.

"Well, we didn't hear your coughing or vomiting anymore, so we came looking for you," Ty explained. "Speaking of you being sick, why aren't you coughing or vomiting now?"

Grim stepped forward. **"Tyler Axhel. Adam Demonii. Werewolf and vampire. You two shouldn't be friends."**

Adam removed Ty's hand and narrowed his eyes. "Well we are. Do you have a problem with that?"

Jason's eyes widened as he saw Grim grip his scythe tighter as he contemplated killing the two. "Adam, Ty, this is _the_ Grim Reaper. Do _not_ get involved with this."

Ty stood his ground. "We kind of are involved as we are staring Death himself in his face." He looked Jason up and down. "Well, Death and his apprentice."

"**You are interrupting something very important. I suggest you leave immediately or I will take care of you myself."**

"No you won't," Adam waved off. "We have superhuman hearing. We heard you say that you don't like who you are. You wouldn't kill unless you have to."

"**And you are pushing me to that point," **Grim growled. **"Do you want Jason Crock to die?"**

"No, but I know you aren't telling him everything," Ty countered. "I know someone who knows almost everything, and you, Grim Reaper, are not telling Jason everything."

Jason looked up at Grim. "What is he talking about?" Grim remained silent, confirming Adam, Ty, and Jason's suspicions. "What are you hiding from me?!" No reply. Jason looked at Ty and Adam. He was greeted with looks of sympathy.

"Jason," Adam started. "You don't have to kill just humans."

"_What?" _Jason hissed. He glared at Grim. "You mean you had me killing humans all this time when I didn't have to?!"

"**Jason-" **Grim started.

"I don't even want to hear it! I trusted you! I thought you understood me!" Jason grabbed the flaming skull and crushed it into shattered pieces. At this moment, the rest of Team Supernatural stepped into the meadow. Tyler could see Grim and Jason despite him being human because they chose to remain visible.

Jason's robe and scythe disappeared and he flashed back to his normal height. He opened his palm and the shattered skull fell to the ground. Jason turned and walked back to the team. "Never contact me again."

Jason and the team then walked off, leaving a heartbroken Grim Reaper behind.

* * *

The Mysteics stood outside the base in the warm night. Mitch was holding a jar in his hands.

"Okay. This is a Bogie. This is the weakest demon you can come across. It looks like a butterfly except it's a vomit green, okay? Very simple. Just swing your scythe, kill it, and you get another year to live," Mitch explained. Jason nodded.

Mitch unscrewed the lid and stepped back. A vomit green butterfly the size of Jason's palm flew out of the jar and began flying towards the sky.

"Jason, now!" Mitch commanded, a second before the demon was far enough for the blade to meet its target.

This gave Jason enough time to react. Swinging his scythe, the demon was sliced in half before disappearing into dust particles, red smoke following the black blade. Mitch smiled as the rest of the team clapped.

"Keep killing demons like that and you'll be doing a favor for yourself and the rest of the world," Mitch winked. "And don't worry. To avoid any issues, I'll give you a demon to kill every month."

"How do you get all those demons, biggums?" Jerome asked.

Mitch grinned. "For me to know and for you to find out." Jerome rolled his eyes but smiled anyway.

"Thanks, Mitch," Jason said, swinging his scythe in a careful circle to make it disappear.

"No problem," Mitch said. "After all, what would we do without our intelligent Jay?"

Jason smirked. "I shudder to think about it."

**Hey guys! So I hope you guys really enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. I have decided to give Team Supernatural multiple names instead of one. It gives a sense of mystery like, "Who are these people?" The name "Mystics" comes from a brilliant girl by TheDeadGirlRisen. I recommend you check her out. And because she suggested a name, all of the credit from this chapter goes to her. This chapter is hers. So please, suggest a name and a chapter will be yours. Thank you for reading. Please review. Until then, be safe, God bless, I love you, and…DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! C YA!**


	3. National Best Friend Day

**So a few days ago was National Best Friend Day. Sadly, this chapter was not done by that time. So, I have written this chapter for my closest FF friends and my new and remaining fans. I like to thank you all for sticking by me through the thick and thin. I love you all with all my heart, even the haters. I hope you guys enjoy. R&amp;R!**

National Best Friend Day

The-Cat-Loving-Kid

Sometimes, everyone needs company. Whether it's from a friend, a family member, a dog...even a cat. People think dogs are better company. Adam thinks differently.

After his baby sis had died, he was alone. He hadn't met Ty and Jason and Jerome and Mitch and Lola and Detroit and all those awesome people until later. But during that time, who did he have? Certainly not his parents.

Walking down the streets of the Belladonna Kingdom, Demon Bird Adam found a sight that melted his heart. A small grey and white cat was shivering in the pouring rain, thin and wet. Looking at the cat, Adam saw himself. A lost and unloved animal, waiting for someone who cared. He couldn't take his eyes off the creature.

He looked around the almost empty streets before scooping up the cat and holding the poor thing close to him. The animal would've run away, but it was too weak to do so.

At first, the cat was shy. Living with a demon in a treehouse wasn't exactly the best life. But after a little pestering from Adam, it turns out the cat loved to play. The little animal was energetic and kind. As time went by, the cat grew stronger. It became bigger than a normal cat, the size of a horse. The animal Adam had found wasn't a normal cat, it was a demon. But by being loved from a small kitten, the demon cat knew nothing but good.

When Adam had to go, the cat knew it was her time as well. Even though Adam and his cat don't live together, they find time to have fun and whenever they need one another, they'll be there in a heartbeat.

_TCLK, I hope you enjoyed your segment of this chapter. Honestly, you were one of my first ever fans and have been with me this entire crazy ride. I couldn't ask for anything better than a friend. You have shown me what it's like to be loved by someone you've never met and helped me blossom into who and what I am today. Thank you. _

Corgi101

They say a dog is a man's best friend...but who said they couldn't be a female's best friend too? What if the woman didn't like diamonds but fluffy dogs instead? What if all she needed was a creature to hold?

Ashley lived a rough life. Being a supernatural with a human family was pretty hard. Being different than others caused a lot of hurt and low self-confidence. You'd think being surrounded by people who loved you would help higher that. It didn't.

There were two girls and seven guys in Team ET. Tiff and Ashley. Jerome, Adam, Ty, Mitch, Jason, Tyler, and Kyle. Being the only girls, Tiff and Ashley were close, able to chat about feminine things. Ashley, however, never voiced her low self-esteem out loud though.

Tiff, a strikingly beautiful woman, caught the eyes of every man except the males in Team ET. Ashley, a moderately pretty teen who looked nowhere as beautiful as Tiff, was overlooked. It didn't help Ashley's case much.

Sometimes, when Tiff asked if she wanted to head to the city to run some errands with her, Ash would politely say no, claiming she had work to do. She thought no one noticed her self-hate. She was wrong.

It was a dark night, chilly and depressing. It completely matched Ashley's mood. She was on her bed with her laptop when a knock on the door sounded. When she gave the call for her visitor to come in, a black and green wolf trotted in. The wolf hopped onto the bed and turned into a small wolf pup.

_**"I know,"**_ was all Ty needed to say. The werewolf stayed in the room all night, providing the heartbroken girl the attention she craved and deserved.

_God, Corgi. Where do I start? You were one of my first favorite authors and without knowing it, you inspired me to become the writer I am today. And, wow, you are one of my best friends. Geez. I love you, Corgi, with all of my heart. Thank you so much. I look forward to our co-writes. Hashtag DarkCorgi._

Candyphone

Everyone needs a friend. Living alone is a path most people fail to live with. Those who only have themselves tend to be the ones who fall into the darkest of places. With no one to pull them back up, they stay there in the hole they can't climb out of.

That's where Tyler would be if it wasn't for Kyle.

Tyler's family had a curse placed on them many years ago: Anyone who knew the Associa past and wasn't a member of the dynasty would die.

Living with the burden of your ancestors' horrid lives was bad enough. Not being able to split the load was even worse.

Tyler had many secrets, many of which would send anyone spiraling down into depression. So when it did, no one could find the coldness to blame him.

Then Kyle came and Tyler's life had meaning again. Although Tyler couldn't split the load, he was able to try and make amends for the wrongdoings his ancestors had made. And it all started with Kyle.

Kyle was his second friend, his first being his dad. Kyle helped show Tyler that life was worth living and that there was always something to fight for. Kyle had been so damn convincing that Tyler gave it a shot. Now, Tyler was fighting for the lives of Minecraftia, serving the MC Forces alongside his friends, putting his life in danger for those he didn't even know. And he owed it all to Kyle.

_Wow. How do I even start?! Where do I begin? From the review to the private messages to the text messages to the Skype calls to the Face-Timing, we've been through it all. And, wow, it's one hell of a ride. Being able to know someone as amazing as you seems unreal. Being able to know someone who accepts me for who I am despite the lies I've told seems like a fantasy. Where would I be without you? There's no way for you to see how much I love you, my friend, no way at all. _

Shardas1000

Mitch was one of the best actors alive. He lived with a bunch of supernaturals, and he was one too, but what he was, nobody knew. He was special. He managed to slip out of the most uncomfortable situations by twisting your words around without you even realizing it. Mitch avoided talking about his past life, something about not being "interesting" and "uncomfortable".

Jerome knew most of it though. Mitch lived a sorrowful life. He had a job he was ashamed of, one that drove him to the darkest pits of Hell and made want to jump into lava and die. Mitch once told Jerome that sometimes, he just didn't want to live anymore. That living wasn't worth it. Of course, it scared Jerome. Jerome loved Mitch like a brother and hearing those words scared him. Mitch needed to stay. Jerome couldn't live without Mitch. Mitch thought he was so worthless, so easy to replace, that it took Jerome hours to calm Mitch down.

It was hard for people tell that Mitch was unhappy with himself. He hid it so well. It was only with Jerome that he actually curled up into a ball and leaned into his best friend's warm embrace. Every once in a while, an actor needed to take a break and realize who they really were, not some character in a show or movie.

Jerome provided the comfort Mitch needed. He was Mitch's understudy, covering Mitch's cracks with Quick-Dry Cement. It wasn't easy being the fallback plan, but Jerome knew it was an important job and meant a lot to Mitch, so he is more than happy to play the part.

_Shardy, Shardy, Shardy, what do I say to you that will make you realize how much I appreciate you? From the RPs and chats to just being someone I appreciate in general. You are so freaking funny it's ridiculous. You are so underappreciated and people seemed to underestimate you. You are an amazing person. Don't let anyone bring you down. I love you._

Nightmare Flame

Tiff had the good looks, the great personality, the beautiful smile...everything Ashley felt she didn't have and the things that guys look for. Tiff didn't want it though.

Some people called it ungrateful, some people said she'd grow into it...she didn't care.

She hated working beside her best female friend who thought she wasn't good enough. Yes, Tiff knew. Tiff knew how Ashley felt. She sincerely wished that even though Ty had told her how Ashley felt, he was lying. But when Tiff looked closely, she could see the self-loathing and depression in Ashley's eyes. It hurt to know that her own best friend was almost jealous of her.

But Ashley had some things Tiff envied. Ashley was _brilliant_. She had the ability to somewhat keep up with at least half of the genius talk Jason spews. And if Tiff was being honest.

She thought Ashley was gorgeous too. With her long brown hair, tan skin, light brown orbs, and slender figure that suited her well. Although Ashley's curves were a little "underdeveloped", her personality made up for it. Ashley was kind and sweet. She was patient, especially during her relationship with Daniel. Tiff didn't have nearly as much patience as Ashley.

So when Tiff told Ashley all the things she loved about her, Ashley did the same, and it felt like their relationship grew stronger.

_Night, it's been a heck of a ride. Even though we haven't been writing the co-story lately, I just want you to know that I sincerely loved writing it with you and if you want to, maybe we can pick it up again? Even if you don't, it's been so much fun, Night. I love you._

My Fans, my Death Hunters, my Mortem Venators

Tyler wasn't himself today. His atmosphere was gloomy and depressing. Every other day, he was bursting with energy. Everyone noticed it and by the middle of the day, they found it necessary that they step in.

Ty pulled Tyler aside from his piano in the lounge and quietly spoke to him. With deeply concerned eyes, Ty asked, "Are you okay? We've all noticed that you've been a little...off today."

Tyler nods, but ends up grabbing Ty's hand gently and softly tugs the older teen to another direction. Ty, albeit a bit surprised by the action, follows the younger to where he wants the werewolf to be.

As Tyler dragged the older teen through the base, he grabbed the other team members as well, no matter what they were doing. After about twenty minutes of being dragged and complaining, Team ET finally arrived at Tyler's desired destination. Upon seeing the sight, the Extraterrestrials knew why Tyler wasn't Tyler today.

_Michael Lawrence Associa_

_Beloved Father and Husband_

_May 23, 1975 - June 3, 2012_

The team stared in shock as Tyler knelt in the grass in front of the tombstone. Speaking for the first time the whole day, Tyler said, "My father was someone I looked up to my whole life and I still do. He took care of me and loved me like a real father. He's been dead four years. God, I miss him."

The team crowded around the heartbroken teen. Tyler spoke again, "After he died, I was in a dark place." Voice breaking, Tyler whispered, "You all saved me. I couldn't ever repay you."

_I hoped you all enjoyed that segment. There are a lot of people that I could've written about but I would rather not be a week late with this. I love you all so much. Like Team ET and Tyler, you all saved me. I was going through a tough time in my life and I was thinking suicide, but I thought about the people who enjoyed what I wrote. I wondered how you would feel if I died and wasn't able to write anymore. Would you feel sad? So I held on, I kept living so I could satisfy you. Eventually, things got better and I found life worth living again. I found friends that I are better than most of the friends I have IRL. I couldn't ask for better saviors. If you think you can't save a life, guess what? You already did. Thank you. _

**Guys, I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter. I love you all so much. You've given me more support than my own family and IRL friends. Let me know if you want these excerpts to be real chapters.**

**But there's one thing I haven't told you and I am ashamed that I've kept it secret for so long. I have reasoning behind it but even I don't think it's a valid excuse.**

**My name is **_**not**_ **Astrid Asterid Jennings Nightingale. It is something that me and my friends, Alani and Lyah, came up with when I first started this account. It was a way to protect myself from those in the outside world. At first, I didn't know what it was like to have strangers all over the world admire you and love you and enjoy your company, so I didn't think lying to you guys was all that bad. **

**Man, was I so wrong…**

**I am **_**SO, SO, SO SORRY**_. **I don't know how I could've been so cruel to lie to my favorite people in the WORLD for almost two years. That fake background and name could damage so much. Every day, I felt the guilt of not telling everyone my real name and lying to everyone who I loved. It sucked being the one who was to blame. I apologize. I understand if you're mad, but just know, that I'm not upset if you leave. I completely understand.**

**For safety reasons, I'm sure you can understand if I don't tell you my **_**whole**_ **name, but here's a shortened version: Anjie Luz M. My name isn't exactly "pretty" but the whole thing isn't something you hear often. Yes, I am still Puerto Rican and I am still tall. That is still true.**

**I love you guys. God bless, be safe, take care, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**

**...Hopefully.**

_**I am only human**_

_**So I bleed when I fall down**_

_**Until I'm strong enough to jump**_

_**Then I'll fly**_

_**So I may aswell fly away**_

_**We'll go up, up, up **_

_**Cuz I could use a hand sometimes **_

_**I am only human**_

_**Krewella - Human**_

_**Christina Perri - Human**_

_**Chris Brown - Crawl**_

_**Eminem - Fly Away**_

_**Zach Sobiech - Clouds**_

_**Krewella - Human**_

_**Collage by me**_


	4. Virus: Listen to the Techno Beat

**Hello everybody! My first chapter of this story was about Ashley but I never went into her supernatural power. Well this is it. I don't really have much to say except that I sincerely hope you enjoy this chapter. Here you go! I hope you enjoy! R&amp;R!**

**Virus: Listen to the Techno Beat**

Ashley Melias is _special_. She is not like most girls. She doesn't worry too much about her appearance. She does put on make-up and try to look decent when in public, but in reality, Ashley doesn't have a social life. The Supernaturals don't really have social lives period, but at least the others get out more than she does. They have to force her away from her laptop. They just don't know what that laptop is to her.

Anyone who walks into her room will see a normal room. Oak walls, a few posters here and there, a bed, a bureau, a bathroom…Nothing special. Except for one wall. The wall next to the door is Electronic Central. Ashley is a techno. Not a techno geek, not techno music. She is a Techno.

A Techno is a rare species. There are very few Technos left. The ones that are alive are really old or captured. Ashley is the last healthy Techno. The only person, or Supernatural, that knows this is The Count. Tyler got a little too close a few times, but she is safe. Ashley is electronic. She is human, yes, but she is part robot. A cyborg. Except a cyborg is mostly robot. Ashley is mostly human.

Before The Count came along, Ashley's powers were out of control. Her hair would have sparks emitting from them occasionally and whenever she touched something or someone, she would give them a bit of a shock. Electronic devices would malfunction or short out every time she passed by.

The Count helped control that. He would take her to the middle of the desert where they were safe from hurting anything in an electrical fire. They would practice focusing her energy into a controllable state. She was electrical. She was the uncontrollable lightning, the loud thunder, the wild flames, the sparking electrons. She couldn't be controlled easily, but The Count did it.

The Count even gave her the laptop to use her powers without being obvious. That's why Ashley is such a great hacker. She fuels the Internet and anything electronic. Nothing is posted without her knowing. She knows her way around anything robotic or machine. She didn't stop anything from posting. That wasn't her job.

A knock came to her door. "Ashley! Come out! You've been in there for five hours!" Adam called.

Ashley stroked her laptop softly and affectionately before walking out to meet Adam. When she walked out, Adam stared at her.

"Who's the vampire here?" Adam asked.

Ashley rolled her eyes and playfully swatted the back of his head. "Shut up."

Adam laughed. "Come on. We're going to play basketball." Adam was dressed in a black t-shirt and black basketball shorts. His black sneakers were dirty but you could barely see the grime because of the color.

"Alright," Ashley said, smiling. "Let me get changed and I will be out in a moment." Adam nodded and walked away as Ashley closed the door.

::::TIME LAPSE::::

Ashley came outside dressed in a red t-shirt and black basketball shorts with black and white Nikes. Everyone was dressed in black basketball shorts but had on different color tees and similar sneakers. Tiff had on a yellow tee with black Nikes. Tyler had on a green tee with black and blue Pumas. Kyle had on a white tee with black and grey Nikes. Ty wore a brown tee and black Nikes. Jason wore a blue tee with black and blue Pumas. Mitch wore an orange tee shirt with black and white Reeboks. Jerome wore a purple tee with purple and black Pumas.

"You ready?" Jason asked. He was carrying the team's duffel bag. Inside held towels, water bottles, tape, pre-wrap, and a first aid kit. People don't normally take medical kits with them to a local basketball court, but when you're playing with a pack of over-powered supernaturals and a gun-loving human warrior, a medical kit will be packed with no questions asked and no hesitation.

Ashley nodded and the team set off to the large man-made clearing they created for the basketball court. They had gone everywhere among the forest and created clearings for different sports. They had soccer, volleyball, baseball, kickball, basketball, and even a football, and a few more. Each was custom made to suit each sport. The football stadium took quite a while and a large area to build. The Extraterrestrials were athletic and loved sports. It kept them entertained, in shape, and moving.

In the earlier times when they built the clearings, Adam and Ty always had to lead them to the courts. The two males would either use flight or enhanced sight to find their recent construction project or a particular court for them to play on. It didn't take long for the others to finally remember where each court was and they could finally walk there on their own.

It didn't take a lot of time to reach the basketball court. It was one of the closest clearings to their base and one of their favorite sports to play.

"We, again, have an odd number of people so who wants to be scorekeeper, referee, and substitute for the time being?" Ty asked.

Tiff raised her hand. "I will," she volunteered. She quickly scaled a nearby tree and opened a large hidden chest. She gently handed down a black folding table to Adam and Ty below her. She then handed the game board **(Game Board: a large, black, electronic box that keeps track of the time and score for both teams)** to Kyle and Tyler. She tossed down a large bag filled with jerseys of only two color choices: red and blue.

The teams were divided equally: Adam, Jason, Tyler, and Mitch. Jerome, Ty, Kyle, and Ashley. Adam's team was blue and had the left side of the court and Jerome's team held the right side of the court with the color red.

Tiff sat down on the tree stump that was behind the folding table and game board. She quickly stood up when she remembered that she had to start the game. Jason handed her a whistle and she slipped it around her neck. Mitch handed her the ball Adam was holding on the way there and moved to his side of the court. The other two balls were by the tree stump.

"Set?" She asked. Ty and Adam nodded. Adam was on her left and Ty was to her right. She blew her whistle and tossed the ball in the air, quickly backing out of the way to avoid getting hit by one of the males. Tiff sat back down on her stump and started the countdown.

Adam smacked the ball towards his side of the court, barely missing Ty's arm that almost connected with his face. Mitch caught the ball and dribbled it forwards toward the Reds' basket. This was proven a difficult task as Jerome was currently blocking him in any direction he moved. Mitch quickly faked Jerome to the left and bounce-passed it to an open Tyler, who caught the basketball and dribbled forward, Kyle right beside him, blocking any shots. In the corner of his eye, Tyler saw Ty getting ready to rush forward when the five minute mark was met, despite a certain reaper guarding him. Apparently Adam saw this too because, despite the female hacker blocking him, he caught Tyler's eye.

Tiff pressed a button on her phone and a loud horn sounded like it would in a real basketball game. This meant the five minute mark had been met and powers were now allowed to be used. Tyler faked Kyle to the right before chest-passing it to Adam, who just narrowly caught the ball as Ashley almost knocked it over to Ty. Adam spun to the side and ran as fast as he could towards the Red Team basket. Ty quickly spun off Jason and rushed after Adam. The two speeding supernaturals moved backwards and forwards, slowly advancing toward the Red Team basket.

Adam was starting to have trouble with the fast werewolf and quickly scanned for an open teammate. He saw in the corner of his eye Jason spin around a certain Bacca and become open. Knowing Ty was moving too fast to suddenly change direction, Adam stopped moving left and bounce-passed to the right, the ball passing an unsuspecting werewolf. The two teams sprinted down the court, the Blue Team trying to get open for the reaper and the Red Team trying to block the Blues or get the ball from Death's apprentice.

Jason was underneath the basket and did a quick right layup. Jerome missed the ball and a swoosh was heard, the ball sinking into the net. Tiff changed the score after stopping the clock immediately after the ball went into the net: 1-0. Instead of the game board saying "Home" and "Away", they made their own saying "Blue" and "Red".

"Red ball!" Tiff called out.

Ashley stood outside the court, holding the basketball in her hands as she looked for an open teammate. Mitch was blocking Jerome, Tyler was blocking Kyle, and Jason and Adam were blocking Ty. All her teammates were being guarded by the opposite team. Kyle, however, managed to slip by Tyler's boxing **(Boxing: a move in which the person guarding has their back to their opponent and uses their arms to feel for their location)** and became open. Ashley, wasting no time, chest-passed it to Kyle and the game resumed. The clock continued to count down as the game moved on.

The game started at an hour and a half. It was now an hour and twenty two minutes. Every time a shot was made or a rule was broken, the timer would stop and the other team would get the ball.

When half time finally sounded (the forty-five minute mark), Tiff had been switched out five times. The first was Jerome, then Jason, then Tyler, then Kyle, then Adam. Now she was switching out with Ashley.

It didn't take a while for them to switch again. Tiff had just scored a basket at the forty minute mark, making the score forty-six red and forty-two blue. Ashley, after regaining her breath and downing half her water bottle, she stood up to switch Tiff out.

She had just stepped out onto the court. The water she had consumed was a conductor for electricity. Now she was powered up again, ready to move. Just as Adam was about to toss in the ball, black spots danced in her vision. All the power she felt before was diminishing fast. The sun was still out, they weren't in the desert, she just charged herself...Blackout. There was a power surge. Crap. She was screwed. She hadn't even gotten into position yet, but Adam saw her freeze. He stood straight and held the ball against the side of his hip.

"Ash? You okay?" He asked. Tiff appeared behind her, feeling her forehead.

"Ashley! You're ice cold!" The pink haired girl exclaimed, but Ashley wasn't listening. She couldn't. Her vision and her hearing were shutting down. The blackout caused all the energy inside her to leave. It was only a matter of time before she fainted.

Sure enough, Ashley began to sway side to side, eyelids becoming heavy. Tiff had just gotten ahold of her before Ashley's legs gave out from underneath her. The guys who had their backs facing them turned around and raced toward the girls, Adam right behind them. Ty scooped the Techno up bridal-style and the Extraterrestrials ran back to house.

Ty could feel Ashley's temperature dropping and held her closer to him to try to warm her up. Little did he know, when he turned into a werewolf with Jerome holding Ashley still on his back, the movement of Ty running caused the teens' fur to rub against Ashley's skin, creating static. The electricity entered Ashley's unique bloodstream, making its way to her heart. When the static reached Ashley's heart, the organ jump started, sending blood and electricity throughout Ashley's body. Ashley's body warmed for a moment before chilling again. That was when it clicked in Jerome's mind.

"Ty, you feel that right?" Jerome asked.

_**"Ashley warming and freezing again?"**_

"Yeah."

_**"Yeah. I feel it."**_

"Do you think it's because we're creating static?"

_**"Well, this is more of Jason's forte but static is a form of electricity and electricity produces heat so..."**_

Jerome paused before rubbing his paws faster against Ashley's arm and Ty began to run faster. They created more and more static. Soon, Ashley's body began to warm and her slick ponytail began to frizz out.

Jerome stopped rubbing his paws and Ty slowed down as they approached the HQ. Jerome hopped down while carrying Ashley with Ty right behind him after transforming back to human. They ran into the base and towards the med bay.

"We need Jason," Jerome said as he and Ty hooked Ashley up to an IV and heart monitor.

"I know," Ty said. "He's on his way with everyone else. Until then, try to warm Ashley up. Her temp's dropping again. I'll go grab a towel and warm water, okay?"

Jerome nodded and Ty left the room. Only then did Jerome really start thinking. No human he ever encountered had been warmed by static. Yes, static was electricity which was a form of heat, but, even though Jerome isn't a man of science, he didn't think it was possible. Or maybe it was and he wasn't aware. Jerome didn't know.

Jerome laid a paw on Ashley. Maybe if he tried again...? He rubbed his paw up and down Ashley's pale and cold forearm quickly. Slowly but surely, Ashley regained color and warmth.

A loud bang and whirring sound told Jerome that Ty had turned on the backup generator in case of a power outage. The heart monitor began beeping and the heater in the room banged before going silent. Jerome stopped rubbing Ashley's forearm but her temperature started dropping again. Only static was working.

Jerome looked around. _'Electric, electric, electric...What is electric here that I can use...?'_ It finally clicked. Jerome rushed out of the med bay and to his room. Snagging something off his desk, he returned to Ashley with a joy buzzer. Slipping it on his paw, he held it against the Techno's hand. Jerome could hear Ty moving around as a human downstairs, so why did he hear loud footsteps in a pattern of a large werewolf?

The Count.

Releasing his paw from Ashley's hand, Jerome took off the joy buzzer and set it on the bedside table. Soon after that, The Count stepped into the white room. His blue and red fur stood out from the rest and he shrunk himself to fit.

_**"Aceti, what happened?"**_ The elder werewolf asked.

"We were playing basketball when a blackout occurred. Ashley fainted a little while after."

The Count sighed. He knew this was going to happen. _**"Miss Melias is not going to be happy but I need to tell you for her sake and yours." **_At this point, the rest of the Supernaturals had come back, Ty empty-handed.

_**"Miss Melias is a Techno. It is almost like a cyborg except it is mostly human. She can control all things electronic, but with a price,"**_ The Count explained. _**"Miss Melias runs on electricity. When the power goes out, so will she. Someone get her laptop and turn it on."**_

Getting over his initial shock the fastest, Adam left the room and returned a few minutes later with the powered on mini laptop in his hands. Following The Count's instructions, Adam placed the laptop on Ashley's lap and plopped her hand on top. Immediately, Ashley's face began to tan. The battery meter on the laptop's lower left hand corner began to drop quickly. The Extraterrestrials stared on in amazement as Ashley drained the laptop's power supply and fueling her own.

When the laptop finally died, Ashley's face was as tan as she normally was and she was back at ninety eight degrees Fahrenheit. When Tiff touched Ashley's forehead, the female smiled and claimed that she was warm again. Everyone besides The Count let out a sigh of relief. The Count just bowed his head and closed his eyes. Upon seeing this, Ty immediately knew something was wrong.

"Count? What's wrong?"

_**"The blackout affected all of Minecraftia due to a large nuclear weapon the Minecraftia Forces attempted to construct. A handful of Technos were alive, but they are being hunted. With no one to care for them, they all just died from either the lack of energy or they were caught by their pursuers after fainting. I pity them all now."**_

Tiff placed a hand to her mouth and the guys just stood quiet. They were all glad Ashley was safe and alive, but their hearts ached for those who died or were captured. They didn't dare to question The Count. The werewolf had been living on Minecraftia for several thousand years. It was a curse that was placed on him a long time ago. The Count knows everything about the world and the deaths of the remaining Technos was no exception, no matter how horrible it might be.

Ty nodded and said, "Alright. We'll tell Ashley."

_**"No need. She will know when she regains consciousness. Miss Melias will sense the absence of strong electrical power from the remaining Technos."**_

Ty nodded before looking back at Ashley. All the group could do now was wait.

::::TIME LAPSE::::

When Ashley woke up, the bright lights above forced her to shut her eyes again. Slowly opening her eyes once more, she adjusted to the glow and blinked a few more times. Her head throbbed but not painfully. She felt stronger and restored. She felt a cold metal object underneath her hand. She looked down to see her laptop on her lap. Ashley knew she must've drained power from the electronic, but who gave it to her? How'd she get here? What happened?

Memories came flooding back. Basketball. Blackout. Fainting. Static. Cold. She had passed out from the power surge and someone had created static to keep her alive. That left two more questions for her. Who kept her breathing and how did they know?

Ashley glanced around the empty room. She wasn't alone for long when Adam, Ty, and Jerome popped their heads into her room. She wanted to laugh, but she resisted the motion.

"Well, well, well. Look who's awake!" Adam grinned.

Ashley smiled. "Can't get rid of me that easily. Nice try though." The three guys walked into the room and pulled up chairs next to her bed and Ashley sat up, feeling tall.

"We almost did lose you," Ty said. "If Jerome didn't see that static revived you, you wouldn't be here."

Ashley pursed her lips. She felt bad that her team saw her almost die, but it wasn't like she planned the blackout!

"I know. I should've told you earlier," Ashley apologized. "But who told you?"

"We figured out most of it by ourselves, but The Count confirmed our suspicions," Adam answered quietly. "Is there a reason that you didn't tell us? Was it like Jason? You were ashamed?"

Ashley shook her head. "A little. I was scared and a bit embarrassed too."

"Embarrassed? Por qua?" Jerome asked, making Adam snicker at his choice of words.

Ashley smiled. "If you were me, don't you think it would be a little embarrassing that you can be killed by a power surge?"

No answer.

"Exactly."

Adam smiled. "When you're around us, it's okay to be embarrassed. I mean, look at us! We can embarrass General James Grey! The general of the MC Forces! And besides, you don't have to be ashamed by it. We are all so different from normal people, even Tyler. That's what makes us special and unique." Rising from their chairs, Ty and Adam got ready to leave the room.

"Don't be ashamed of who you are, Ash," Ty said. "Don't confuse yourself with someone you're not. There are many people who love you for who you are now. Why change?" With that said, the two teens left the room, leaving Jerome and Ashley to talk.

"That was so _deep_," Jerome gaped. Ashley chuckled. She expected nothing more from the Bacca. "No! Ashley! I'm serious. That sounded like it was choreographed and rehearsed. Wow!" Ashley began to laugh and Jerome chuckled.

Jerome looked at the girl resting on the hospital bed. "You know, Ash, being a Bacca isn't my supernatural side."

Ashley stared at him. "It isn't?"

Jerome shook his head. "Nope. I'm something else too. I'm not ashamed of it, I've learned to not let it get the best of me. I would tell you all, but now isn't the time. He's telling me no. But, Ashley, you know you can tell us anything. Even if it might be upsetting, we will understand. We love you, Ash. Get better for us, 'kay?" Jerome stood and just as he was about to walk, Ashley grabbed his paw. Jerome looked at her.

Ashley smirked. "When I get better, I'm gonna whip your ass in basketball."

Jerome smirked, revealing sharp canines. "Just as long as you don't shock my ass, we'll be fine."

The duo laughed before Jerome left, leaving Ashley to lie down in bed.

She looked at the outlet near the window next to her bed. She smirked. Ashley climbed out of bed and laid her hand on the electrical socket. Her eyes turned a bright blue and lightning flashed in her eyes as the socket began to spark. The lights began to flicker before the backup generator failed. She climbed out the window and onto the roof. She heard people run into the med bay before running upstairs and bursting through the door to the outside .

The rest of Team Unlimited looked up at the electric teenage girl in front of them before Mitch asked,

"Oh what the _hell_ are you doing now?"

Ashley took her hand and held it out palm facing up. Lightning crackled from her hand and into the clouds above. Lightning and thunder roared above before it struck the power lines of Kroak City in the distance. The lights of the city began to flicker on one by one. The building beneath the began to feel colder as rainclouds approached them.

"Aw _shit_," Jerome said. "My fur is gonna puff up." Team ET snickered as rain began to pour down. Thunder boomed before lightning struck down in front of Ashley. The building came back to life as the electricity flowed into it.

Ashley, albeit really tired, walked to her team. She smirks as she looked at Jerome. "I could've easily aimed that lightning bolt at you, puff ball."

Jerome glared at her, but to no avail as his fur began to frizz. "Shut up."

Mitch rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, Jerome? Maybe you should go inside before you really turn into a puff ball..."

It was too late, however, as Jerome's fur suddenly poofed up, making him look like an actual fuzz ball.

"Guys...I can't see..."

The Extraterrestrials laughed as Jerome continued to complain about his fur and blindness. For once, Ashley felt extremely comfortable with being different. After all, it is what makes her special.

**Okay guys. Hope you enjoyed this chapter of The Days of the Unknown! I, personally, had a blast writing this, even though it took forever. I hope you guys will come back for more and I will see you in the next chapter. Please let me know of any grammar or spelling errors. Until then, be safe, take care, God bless, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA! **

**Rotten: Death's Apprentice **

**Arms wide open**

**I stand alone**

**I'm no hero **

**And I'm not made of stone **

**Right or wrong**

**I can hardly tell**

**I'm on the wrong side of Heaven**

**And the righteous side of Hell**

**I'm on the wrong side of Heaven **

**And the righteous side, the righteous side of Hell **

**Wrong Side of Heaven - Five Finger Death Punch **

**Virus: Listen to the Techno Beat **

**My eyes light up  
Sparks start to flying  
Cause he's a live wire  
A real live wire  
He's like a bolt of lightning  
That sets my soul afire  
Sweet kisses are his alibis  
And that's, that's  
Where my weakness lies  
Though I plan and rehearse  
Things I want to say  
The words never, never  
Come my way**

**Live Wire - Martha and the Vandellas**


	5. Father's Day

**Hello my Mortem Venators! Welcome to another chapter of The Days of the Unknown! This is a Father's Day special and I just want to say Happy Belated Father's Day to all the dads out there! Unless you're a jerk. Then bye, bish. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. R&amp;R!**

Father's Day

When Team Unknown woke up that morning, half of them were dragging their feet and the other half were moving quickly. It was Father's Day and some of them didn't want to disappoint their dads.

Mitch was going to visit his step-father since he lost contact with his biological father years ago. Ashley still had her father, but he wasn't exactly 'living'. Those who had fathers that died were going to go visit their graves.

After breakfast, everyone slipped out of the cafeteria, slinking back towards their rooms. Most of them preferred not to go, but they still went every year in hopes that they would reconnect with their dad. It never really happened though.

::::ADAM::::

When Adam arrived at his father's grave, he kneeled down and stared at the tombstone in front of him.

_**Marquis Antoine Demonii**_

_**May 25, 1978 - January 2, 2012**_

_**A father from a distance and a soldier on the faraway battlefield **_

Adam's eyes teared up at the sight of the gravestone. His father had died on the battlefield during a war between the Belladonna Kingdom and the Krint Kingdom.

Though Marquis abandoned Adam at birth, the vampire couldn't help but think that it was for his own good. If he stayed with his parents and not born a demon, would he have become a vampire? Would he have met Ty and Jason? Would he have met any of Team Unlimited? He didn't think so.

After a couple hours continuing futile chat with his father, Adam sighed and placed down a blue gift-wrapped box with green ribbon. It was a long and wide box, able to hold very few things. Adam stood and whispered a goodbye to his father before leaving. What he didn't see was the box being unwrapped, revealing a taken apart sniper rifle. It was his dad's weapon in the war and lost within the chaos, only to be found and polished by his estranged son.

::::TY::::

When Ty visited his dad, he didn't go with an open mind. He dreaded Father's Day, Mother's Day, their birthdays, the Wolf Moon, and the Hunter Festival. He felt obligated to go to their graves and celebrate with them. He didn't know why. It wasn't like they included him anyways while they were alive.

Ty knelt in front of his dad's grave. He placed down a red gift-wrapped box with gold ribbon. It was a small box and light too. Ty stared at the gravestone a little longer before starting his long trek back to his home. His _real_ home.

When Ty left, the box unwrapped, revealing a gold medal that read: **Best Wolf Hunter 2015**

Small wet dots formed on the ground one at a time before they stopped and the sun shone brightly, forming an outline of a man that disappeared seconds later.

::::TIFF::::

Tiff slowly entered a large and colorful graveyard. Flower bouquets rested on graves and MC flags were attached to the gravestones of those who died in war. Tiff recognized a few of them and vowed to visit them soon. Towards the middle of the graveyard, her father's grave was placed between two others. She placed her own bouquet of red and pink roses on the grave and plopped down.

"Hi, daddy," she started. "It's been a while. Happy Father's Day!" She tried to sound cheerful, but emotions failed her. "I, uh, told you a few years ago that I'll never stop calling you daddy. You didn't believe me, but, look! I'm nineteen and still wishing for her daddy to come home." Her voice cracked and tears started running down her face. "When are you coming home? When are you going to come and say, 'sorry it's been so long, Tiffyquake! Some people just don't wanna surrender to MC.' I miss you, daddy. Mommy also left while you were gone. She said that she'll be back, but I don't think she will." Tiff knew she sounded like she was five. Her naïve mind only took control of common sense on the special days that she thought of her family.

"She said that to me while she was on her bed. We were in some kind of white room. Some beeping thing was attached to her. It was annoying. The people there said she had some kind of sickness. I think they said it was leukemia or something like that," she informed as she struggled to pronounce the word. When it came to being in front of her parents, she could never comprehend anything. She never understood why.

"She said she'd be back. It's been seven years, daddy. I miss you guys. Come back, daddy. Please...?"

She looked at the gravestone that had that small MC flag attached to it. She wiped her eyes and nose before standing up. Her make-up was running and she hugged herself. Her pink hair fell around her face as she shuddered. Her blue eyes were watery and her butterfly clip wasn't even on. The beautiful girl walked out of the graveyard, not caring about her looks anymore.

::::ASHLEY::::

Ashley walked along the cement sidewalk of Spark Central. The large Spark Battery stood in the middle of the large city, glowing and crackling with all its beauty.

It didn't take Ashley long to arrive at Spark Central's mental institution. She waved to the receptionist who shouldn't have been so familiar. She walked through the long hallways of the mental hospital before stopping at Room 27. She knocked on the door before she wandered in.

A man was sitting in a chair, looking out the window. Ashley walked up to him and sat beside the male.

"Hi dad," she whispered.

The man turned to her. "Who are you?"

Ashley's heart broke. "It's your daughter, Ashley, Chris."

"Why am I here?"

Ashley's mouth quivered. "You have Younger-Onset Alzheimer's Disease. It's Alzheimer's that affects people under the age of 65. You're here because you tried to commit suicide after finding out."

"Oh." That's all Ashley's father said after that.

Ashley swallowed hard. "Happy Father's Day, dad. I wanted to say that to you."

"Thank you, um..."

Ashley took a shuddering breath. "Ash."

Chris looked confused. "Huh. That's a weird name."

"It's the nickname you gave me when I was thirteen, daddy,"

Chris looked back out the window. "I suggest you go find your parents, young girl. They must be worried sick about you."

Ashley turned away. "Sounds good," she replied. She placed a large, thick, purple gift-wrapped box onto her father's lap. She left with a small goodbye.

When Chris opened the box, a book lay before his eyes. He flicked through, gazing at the several pictures of his late wife and his heartbroken daughter in awe.

::::JEROME::::

Jerome wandered into a burnt down village. Ashes covered the ground, too many for the wind to blow away despite the many years. Jerome didn't know where to start. His father's ashes were lost within the rest of the late villagers.

Jerome sighed and knelt down on the ground. He placed a tiny, blue velvet box on the ground. "Happy Father's Day, dad," he whispered. "I miss you. It's sad that I can't even find you within the ashes. I love you, dad."

Jerome stood up and wiped away his tears. Jerome didn't want to be here. There were too many things that reminded him of his past. He began to walk away. Why didn't his super hearing pick up the sounds of a spirit opening its gift?

When Jerome left, the box opened, revealing two wedding bands. Teardrops formed on the ground as the spirit recognized the rings. His son found his and his wife's wedding rings among the wreckage. The box and rings suddenly disappeared after a flash of bright light from the shining sun.

::::MITCH::::

Mitch stalked very carefully through the forest, making absolute sure he made no noise. He barely breathed in fear that it would make noise. He held a bouquet of flowers in his hand, a card tucked into the plants.

He soon approached a large metal base in the middle of the woods. Mitch looked all around him, wanting to be certain that no one was following him.

When he felt safe, Mitch tossed the flower bouquet onto the front steps of the base with ease. He scooped up a rock and threw it, years of practice allowing the rock to meet its target. Mitch could hear the doorbell ring from his position in the tree not too far away but out of sight.

A man opened the door and looked around before noticing the flower bouquet at his feet. He bent down and picked up the plant bouquet. He took out the card and as he read it, a smile graced his face. He looked at the forest before his eyes landed on Mitch's tree. Mitch knew it was physically impossible for the man to know he was there, and seeing the man sent shivers down Mitch's spine.

"Thank you, Mitch," the man's lips read. Despite knowing the man couldn't see him, Mitch nodded grimly before turning around and moving through the trees once more.

::::JASON::::

Jason slowly through the cemetery. MC flags hung on the gravestones of those who died in war. Tiff would be arriving soon. On regular days, they would've walked together, but Jason had left a little earlier, knowing that Tiff wanted her personal space.

Jason knelt in front of the gravestone of his father. His father made him into what he was today. He wanted his son to be special. Jason was born to be intelligent, speaking his first words at the age of one. Kevin wanted his son to be socially accepted. Being a Reaper is a way to get yourself kicked out of society. However, the Grim Reaper didn't tell Kevin that. So when Kevin signed Jason's name onto the Reaper contract, he just about ended Jason's life of being normal.

"Dad, I know you wanted me to be special. I know you didn't mean to turn me into a monster. I forgive you. I just want to say Happy Father's Day. I love you." Jason placed a small black leather box on top of the grass.

As he spoke to his father a little while longer, he noticed Tiff walk into the cemetery and sit in front of a soldier's grave.

When Jason finished speaking with his dad, he rose and Tiff did too. Jason saw her walk out of the cemetery and followed her. Only when they reached the teleporter did Jason let Tiff know he was there.

As the duo left, the box opened, revealing a mood bracelet that had two scythes crossing over each other. The jewelry and box disappeared as the spirit took his gift.

::::KYLE::::

Kyle walked through a damp and freezing cave. He knew he should've brought a coat or jacket. He hugged himself as he wandered through the dark cave. At the end of the tunnel was a cross made from netherrack sticks. A flame that would last forever burned on the cross. Underneath the stone rested the body of Kyle's father.

Kyle sat down in front of the burning cross, providing him some warmth. Kyle spoke a little to his father, wishing him a happy Father's day and telling him about the life he lived with the Supernaturals.

"I miss you, dad. Love you." Kyle sighed and placed a long box on the ground. Kyle blinked back tears and stood up. As he left the cross, the cold air of the cave sent shivers up his spine once more.

Once Kyle left the cave, the box opened, showing a large sword with a jewel encrusted handle. It was his father's sword that he passed down to his son. The spirit picked up the sword and a minute after, the sword disappeared with a gust of freezing air.

::::TYLER::::

When Tyler arrived at the Kroak City Cemetery, he didn't come happy. He missed his father, the only person who loved him most of his life. When his dad passed on, no one else was there to catch him as he fell down, down, down into this dark and lonely hole. There was no one there to care about him anymore.

He sighed as he carried a guitar case to his father's grave. Tyler sat down on the grass and took out the guitar his father gifted him a few years back. He took a deep breath before strumming the oh-so-familiar strings. He slowly sang the song "Clouds" by Zach Sobiech, a song him and his father loved.

He could almost feel his father's presence as he sang, as if the man himself was ready to hug him from behind and say, "Hey, son! You're gonna grow up to be great! How about a quick game of basketball before your old dad heads off to work, eh?"

Tyler closed his eyes as he strummed the last note. He glanced at his father's gravestone. "I love you so much, dad. I miss you." His eyes watered as he gazed on. He quickly but gently placed his guitar into its case. Tyler ran his fingers over the marble stone. A teardrop fell onto the stone before Tyler stood and walked off.

Once Tyler left the cemetery, a spirit stood in front of the grave, clapping his hands quietly and staring at the gravestone before disappearing once more.

::::BASE::::

The team gathered in the Lounge, one person slugging in at a time, sometimes in twos. They all collapsed on either the floor or couch or chair. Tyler was the only one who took a detour to his room before coming back downstairs empty-handed. They all sat in silence before Adam spoke up.

"What did you guys get for your fathers?"

Ty sighed. "I gave him the award he'd been trying to win for years. The Best Wolf Hunter Award." Everyone winced in sympathy for the werewolf.

"I got my dad a photo album of me, mom, and him with captions at the bottom saying who we are on every page. I added a little paragraph saying every single little thing there is to know about me and mom in the back," Ashley sighed, her elbow supporting her head on the couch. Her hand was buried in her brown hair and she looked tired.

"Why so specific?" Jerome asked quietly from his spot by the fireplace.

Ashley moved her eyes to look at him. "He has Younger-Onset Alzheimer's Disease."

"Oh."

Mitch spoke next. "I got my step-father a bouquet of flowers. I've gotten him the same thing for years. It's all he ever wants." Mitch rolled his eyes. No one saw the worried look Jerome gave Mitch in the quick second he cast it.

"What kind?" Tyler asked, lying on the floor with his head facing his team and his legs facing the hallway.

Mitch shrugged. "I don't even know." The team snickered.

"I sang the song my father and I used to love when he was alive," Tyler said.

"What song?" Tiff asked from her spot in front of Ashley. The Techno was slowly running her fingers through the other girl's hair, soothing the both of them.

"Clouds by Zach Sobiech," Tyler answered. The team shook their heads to show they didn't know of a song called "Clouds". "Later," Tyler yawned.

Jason took a breath before letting it out. "When you sign the contract to be a Reaper, they give you a little mood bracelet with two scythes crossing over each other. I gave that to him."

Adam looked at Jason from their other side of the room. Jason was sitting on a chair, his hand in a fist and supporting his head from his chin. "Why that out of all things?"

Jason shrugged. "I dunno. I guess it's easy to hide and isn't noticeable. It fits both genders."

Adam had to agree with that. "I gave my father his sniper. He died during war between Belladonna and Krint. I found it and polished it for him."

"So _that's _why you had a sniper..." Tyler said, causing Adam to snicker.

"I gave my dad a bouquet of roses," Tiff said. "Nothing too special."

"At least you know the flower," Kyle muttered. Mitch rolled his eyes but smiled as the team laughed.

"What did you get your dad, Kyle?" Ty asked.

"My dad also fought in war so I found his sword and gave that back to him."

"Okay," Tiff started. "How many of us had dads who fought in war? We have Adam, Kyle, Ty's counts, mine fought..."

"Your dad fought?" Adam questioned.

Tiff nodded. "Yeah. He fought in the Air Force. He, uh, he got shot out of the sky." The team pursed their lips and muttered small sympathized sorrys. Tiff just waved them away and claimed that it was fine.

"And last but not least, well, yeah, he's the least, Jayrome," Adam teased.

Jerome gave him a look that said, _'Really? We're doing this right now?'_ "I found my parents' wedding rings that they lost when my village was burned down. That's what I gave to my father." Jerome stuck out his tongue. "I probably touched their ashes when I looked for the rings."

The girls covered their mouths as the guys kind of shrunk away in slight disgust. They didn't mean to be offensive, and Jerome knew that too, but it was sad and slightly disturbing to touch your parents' and other people's ashes.

"So a good Father's Day or no?" Jason asked.

"I'd say it was all right," Adam said from his spot on the other couch.

"No, not really," Ty sighed from his position next to Adam.

"Mine was good," Jerome answered.

"No. Not at all," Mitch snickered.

"No," Ashley said, shaking her head.

"Nope," Tiff responded.

"Yeah. I had a nice day," Tyler said.

"Yup," Kyle replied.

"What about you, Jason?" Tyler asked. "Good Father's Day?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah. It was all right."

The team went quiet for a few moments. No one knew what else to say. It was Ashley who opened her mouth about five minutes later.

"Well, almost all of us are fatherless. Honestly, you guys know me better than my own dad did when he didn't have Alzheimer's," Ashley started. "If I had to choose between living with dad and living with you guys...I would choose you guys all the way." The team nodded in agreement.

"I wouldn't trade this team for the world," Tyler said, smiling at the supernaturals he called friends.

Ty grinned. "We're so different, it'd be hard to be normal again. We're all we have left."

"Normal? What's that?" Adam asked jokingly.

"It's what we're not," Jason replied with a smile on his face.

"Then I don't think I like normal," Jerome pouted.

"Normal sounds boring," Tiff groaned.

"Pssh. Normal _is_ boring," Tyler scoffed. "I remember when I was normal. I wasn't surrounded by a Vampire, a Reaper, a Techno...It was pretty bad."

"Screw normal," Mitch agreed.

"Screw common," Kyle muttered.

"That's right!" Ashley continued. "Be original, dammit!"

The team stared at each other before they all started laughing.

"I think my father made a wise decision abandoning me. I would've never met you guys," Adam thought out loud. The team nodded.

"Love you guys," Tyler grinned.

"Awe! We love you too, Tyler!" The team chorused.

As the Extraterrestrials chatted away, the fathers above smiled down at their children, proud of who they had become. They wiped their slates clean. Ty's father was sorry for the way he mistreated his son and Adam's father was too, but they couldn't help but be so proud of their sons. Tyler's father smiled down at his son. He beamed at the way his son got along with his new friends. Now if only he would just open up a little more. Tiff's daddy was crying. He felt bad that he never came home to his daughter, he still wished to go to her, but he admired the way his daughter had blossomed into the beautiful girl she was. Jerome's dad was proud of the way his son seemed to want to protect these people. He admired the way Jerome tamed the monster of the Bacca and used it to be the guard dog of Team Unknown. Kyle's father loved the way his son grew to be strong and loyal. He loved his son with all of his heart and still does. Jason's father was sorry for turning him into a Reaper, he was only thinking about himself, but he couldn't help but be proud of the man Jason turned out to be.

Ashley and Mitch's fathers were a little different. Ashley's dad was flipping through the photo album, trying to keep up with the memories he couldn't recall. His supposed daughter was beautiful and she turned out to be intelligent. Ashley said in the paragraph that her intelligence came from both parents. She also said that she looked more like her father than her mother, but her personality was like Danielle's. He only wished he could remember the both of them. Mitch's step-father was a little different. He missed Mitch with all his heart and always wondered why his step-son left to be with that _Bacca_. But he was happy nonetheless. He got to see Mitch every year, even if Mitch didn't know.

All the fathers were different but shared one thing in common: They loved their children. The Extraterrestrials were different but shared a couple things: They loved each other, they would always protect one another, and they wouldn't trade each other for the world.

**I really hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter. I'm sorry this chapter took so long to posted. I have been extremely sick the past week. Of course, when it comes to me writing, I don't believe in sick days. I always believe that the chapter is more important than I am. But anyways, if you enjoyed, please leave a little review at the bottom. Until then, I love y'all, be safe, take care, God bless, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! C YA!**


	6. Clock of Life

Clock of Life

Mitch scowled. It was his step-father's birthday. He hated this day. He hated his step-father. He hated everything about May 27.

Mitch growled and got out of bed. He quickly cleaned up and dressed himself. He was out of the base in less than an hour. He wanted this day to end already.

It was barely six in the morning. The sun was still rising and a light blue sky slowly embraced the world. Mitch wished it was pouring today. He intended to sulk away the day in the forest, but times drags when you're in a bad mood.

Mitch must've been in the forest for hours. When he looked at the sky, the bright sun forced him to look away quickly. He slumped over to a shady tree and sat against the stump. He rubbed his head, trying to massage away a heat headache. It wasn't too long after did Mitch hear footsteps.

Mitch looked up to see Tyler strolling down the path. When the teen's eyes fell upon Mitch, he smiled brightly.

"Hey Mitch! We've been wondering where you've been."

Mitch forced a grin but Tyler saw right through it. The younger frowned. "Bad day huh?" Mitch nodded. Tyler crouched down and grinned. "Want me to tell you something my father used to tell me?" Mitch looked up in curiosity. "He said that the clock of life ticks on, never stopping. When your alarm sounds, you die. People say to live life to the fullest and to have fun before you die. But he said, 'If time goes by faster when you're having fun, why would you have the time of your life? You'll just die quicker. I'd recommend taking it slow. One day at a time.'"

Mitch let it all sink in. "And what are you doing, Tyler?"

"I'm taking life one day at a time."

"And how's that working for you?"

Tyler let out the biggest smile Mitch had ever seen. "Every day is going by slow, but I'm having the time of my life. Take it slow, Mitch. You'll realize how much fun you're missing out on."

**Hello my Mortem Venators! Sorry it's been so long! This is something that popped into my head after...certain events you could say. This is a filler chapter that was written in less than an hour just to tell you to take it slow. Take life one day at a time. Don't rush through it. You only live once. Don't end it quickly. Until then, stay safe, take, I love you, God bless, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA**


	7. Feeling for the Lock in the Dark

Feeling for the Lock in the Dark

Ashley and Tyler were walking through Kroak Forest, heading to Kroak City to run some errands. It was a hot Saturday afternoon and they were unhappy about having to be the only ones to go to the city. The two casually talked along the way about pointless things as they normally did. They complained about how they would rather be home like the others with the A/Cs blasting in every room. They would much rather be sipping on cool lemonade and eating ice cream than actually having to be buying the cold beverage and dessert.

As soon as they arrived in the large city, Ashley and Tyler had the sneaking suspicion that they were being followed. Several glances over their shoulders told each other that they were thinking the same thing. The duo began to walk a little faster, hoping to finish their errands before dark or before anything bad happened to either one of them. The feeling of being watched seemed to grow more and more real as the hours passed by.

Tyler and Ashley began to converse more, trying to seem as though they were talking casually. This fact was false, however, as they were trying to figure out who was following them. They knew for a fact now that there was someone trailing them (that much was obvious), but they couldn't figure out _who_. The duo began to strategize what they were going to do next. Tyler suggested walking faster, but Ashley countered with the fact that it might seem even more obvious. Ashley then suggested that they called Ty. Ty and Adam were the oldest ones out of the whole team so to call them would be the smart thing to do.

Deciding that that was their best option, Tyler pulled out his phone. As the phone call started, Tyler put the call on speaker. Ty, Adam, Kyle, Tiff, Jerome, Mitch, and Jason all began talking at once, wondering where they were and what they were bringing home. Ashley and Tyler rolled their eyes at their friends. They could be so annoying at times.

"Guys, stop!" Ashley hissed after a few moments of hearing their seven friends ramble on and on about nothing important. The others quieted down after hearing the annoyance laced in Ashley's voice. "We called you for a reason!"

Tyler dropped his voice to a tone quiet enough to not be overheard but for their friends to hear. "We think someone may be following us to the base, so we're going to keep walking around town until we find out who it is."

Adam answered back immediately. "No. Come home. I doubt they'd follow you into the forest. No one is in the woods besides you two so if they do follow you, it'd be a lot more obvious and easier to find them."

Ashley nodded. "Alright. We'll be home in like ten minutes."

Ty replied, "No. Keep us on the phone. If you do have someone following you and they decide to attack, we'll hear it and we'll be on our way."

Finding that the command was reasonable, Tyler and Ashley walked with the rest of the team on the phone, all the while being suspicious. When they arrived home, they were swept away by Ty and Adam, dragged to the Lounge and forced to tell everyone what happened. Adam was the one to put all the stuff away as Tyler and Ashley recalled their less than exciting story.

Ty sighed. "Okay. Keep an eye out then. We don't know who's following us." The team nodded as the phone began to ring. Ashley answered the call since she was the closest.

"Hello?" She asked.

_"Ashley! Just the girl I'm looking for! It's Sergeant Tom Griffin. General Grey needs you to come to the army base today and help us with a...project we're working on."_

"Cool. I'll see you when I get there, Tom. Bye."

_"Bye."_

Ashley hung up the phone and came face to face with a bewildered team. "What?"

"What do you mean 'what'?" Adam asked incredulously. "The hell, Ash? We just said to be careful!"

Ashley smiled. "I'll be fine. You guys can walk me over there if you want."

Adam grabbed his phone and stuffed it in pocket as he said, "Yeah. That's exactly what I'm doing."

Ashley rolled her eyes and got up. She grabbed Adam's arm and pulled him with her. "Then let's go."

As the vampire and the Techno walked through the forest, Adam kept a close eye out for any sign of a suspicious character lurking around. Ashley, on the other hand, was casually walking alongside the paranoid vampire.

"Adam, chill!" She sighed after the teen jumped from a rustle in the bushes, only for a cat to come out. "If for some reason our stalker manages to defeat two highly trained supernaturals, what will happen is: one, the soldiers will look for us when we don't show up for a few hours. Or two, Ty and the others will come looking for us if we don't return in two days, maybe less if they come to visit us in the government base. Okay? So, chillax."

Adam rolled his eyes. "Fine. But if we die, I'm blaming you."

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Why? You're already dead."

::::TIME LAPSE::::

When the duo finally reached the military base, Sergeant Tom Griffin was already waiting for them. He greeted them with a big smile, showing off his bright white teeth. Sergeant Griffin had a mess of brown hair, green eyes, and a tall and lean figure. He wore a green and white uniform that was covered with several military medals.

He shook the hands of Ashley and Adam before leading them inside, filling them in on the details of their work-in-progress invention. It was supposed to be like the Spark Battery in Spark Central, a major city that relied on mostly technology and had the most scientific outbreaks in all of history. This..."battery" would be used to charge all modern electrical weapons on the field. It could also be used to electrocute the area within a fifty mile radius of it when charged on to max power. The only reason they needed Ashley was to help the technicians and engineers as well as help them run practice tests. She was the only one who could handle it.

"What do you think?" Sergeant Griffin asked, smiling. "Up to the challenge?"

Ashley shrugged. "I dunno." She looked up at Adam. "What do you think?"

Adam, who had a skeptical look this entire time, replied, "Whatever you want, Ash. Just be careful."

Ashley rolled her eyes. _'Such emotion, Adam.'_ She smiled at Tom. "Alright! Let's go!"

Tom looked at Adam. "Are you coming?"

Adam looked at Griffin. Something was really off about this guy. He wanted to tell Ashley but how? Adam nodded.

"Alright then. Let's head over. General Grey will meet us there."

The trio walked through the long hallways of the military base and towards the construction site. When they reached the room, a larger version of the Spark Battery rested inside, and that was pretty big. Ashley gazed at the large blue energy ball in the middle of the container that crackled and shot electricity at its cage. Her eyes radiated slight fear. Masking her fright with excitement, she turned to Tom.

"Do you have a water bottle for me?"

Tom looked at her puzzled. "A water bottle?"

She nodded. "In order to see if this weapon will work, I have to see how strong it is. I don't think I'm charged enough to even _consider_ battling this thing. Water is an electricity conductor, so it's the safest charger for me right now."

Tom nodded, still trying to wrap around the whole scientific explanation thing. "Alright. I'll be right back." Tom turned around and left the room in pursuit of a water bottle.

This was Adam's chance. "Ash, something doesn't seem right." He turned to look at the Techno, only to see her gazing in absolute fear at the weapon. "Ashley?"

"Adam, there is no way for me to go up against this thing. Just standing here, a hundred feet away from this thing, I feel overwhelmed. There is way too much electricity in that thing. If I get any closer, I'm gonna short out," Ashley whispered.

Adam stared at her in concern. "Ashley, let's go. There's something really wrong with Tom right now. He sounds off. If you can't do this, then we have to leave."

As the duo turned to go, they came face to face with a group of soldiers and Sergeant Tom Griffin.

The sergeant smiled, a demented look in his eyes. "Get the Techno first."

Upon hearing this, Adam moved to protect Ashley, but the soldiers switched onto him. One soldier tased Adam, shocking the vampire and igniting a scream, giving another soldier the ability to clamp a collar around Adam's neck. The collar let out loud whirring sounds as it tightened to a suitable size on Adam's throat. The teen attempted to claw against the soldiers who pinned him down as the collar tightened. When he did, however, the collar shocked him, forcing another scream out of Adam.

As Adam was restrained, Ashley was taken by another soldier, this one being a female. She grabbed Ashley's wrists and pinned them behind her back. Ashley used her electric ability to electrocute the soldier. The soldier jerked back from the pain, allowing Ashley to throw herself towards Adam. She reached for the vampire on the floor, only to be tugged back by yet another soldier. She was slammed onto the ground by two soldiers and a collar similar to Adam's was clamped down onto her neck as well. She felt recharged, stronger, but when she tried to short circuit the collar, she found that her powers wouldn't activate.

Ashley lifted her head to the near unconscious vampire that was struggling to fight off the rogue Sergeant Tom Griffin and his dark soldiers. She screamed Adam's name. Adam turned to her, only for him to be tased in his side. His scream echoed throughout the lab.

The entire time the supernatural duo struggled to fight, all the workers continued their business, not looking away from their work for even a second.

Ashley moved her head away from the sight of Adam being beaten by the rogue soldiers. She could hear his grunts of pain and occasional screams. Tears fell from her closed eyes. She felt a hand dig into her scalp and roughly yank her head up in order to force her into watching Adam.

The supernatural was tossed to the ground, his head connecting with the cold ground. She wished he would fall unconscious, just so they could stop, but he wouldn't. Adam was kicked in the stomach and back. Ashley could've sworn she heard a bone break.

As Adam continued to be beaten, Ashley was yanked by her hair and dragged towards the battery. She felt her temperature rise and her vision started to gain black spots. She couldn't get closer. That thing would kill her.

But somehow, despite the drastic rise in heat and pounding headache, Ashley managed to be dragged halfway to the battery and survived. She bowed her head as Sergeant Tom Griffin walked up to her. He crouched down to meet Ashley's eyes and a sadistic smile spread across his face.

"Oh, Melias. You thought we were that careless to let you die? I've been working with you for a very long time!" Tom chuckled. "I've had this plan for a while." He gazed at the battery in admiration. "This is one of the world's greatest builds. Too bad it'll be wasted."

Ashley lifted up her eyes and let out a feral growl. "What are you talking about, you sadist?"

Tom faked a gasp. "How did you know?" He let out a maniacal laugh. "You didn't really believe that we were going to bring _that_ thing into battle. That thing is way too huge. No. We need something much, much smaller, something they wouldn't suspect. A human." The smile that graced Tom's face was one of complete and utter madness.

"Are you _insane?!_" Ashley spat. "You're nearly killing Adam and you're going to kill me! I can't hold that much energy! No one can!"

"Have you ever _tried_?" Tom giggled. Ashley growled. "I didn't think so. Let's try!" He laughed as he walked away to the console a hundred feet away.

Ashley's eyes widened. "No. No!" She screamed as she tried fight against the soldiers. "Adam!"

The fallen vampire distinctly heard someone screaming. For a monster with super hearing, he was a little concerned with his worsened listening skills. Pain was everywhere. Adam had a pounding headache. His ribs felt as though they were on fire. He felt the collar around his neck. Every time he tried to turn into a demon bird or a vampire, the collar would shock him, sending him into another spiral of pain.

As he listened closer, he heard Ashley screaming his name. He needed to get up. They were going to kill her. But his eyes wouldn't open. The pain wouldn't stop. He needed the pain to stop. It had to go away.

_'Get up, Adam,'_ he thought. _'They're going to kill Ashley. What are you doing?!'_

Adam shifted, a test to see if he could stand up. He failed. Pain shot through him once more. In his head, he yelled at himself in frustration. He swore he was useless. He insulted himself. Ashley was going to die. He needed to get himself together _now_.

_'ADAM!'_ He screamed. _'GET UP NOW! GET! UP!'_

That's all it took. Just like that, Adam managed to move. Adrenaline pumped through him like a drug overdose. He stood and staggered. His eyes opened slowly, glowing with that bright orange color. His handcuffed hands swung in front of him. His hunched over posture and messy black hair gave him that evil look. The vampire in him was snarling. The demon bird in him was angry and aggravated. Most importantly, Adam Demonii was _pissed_.

The soldiers that tortured him looked on with fear but years of experience kicked in. They raised their guns. Adam scanned his surroundings, figuring out what he was going up against.

_'All AK-47s. Based on their experience of working with me, the guns are loaded with black bullets. All of them have tasers. There are only two juggernauts. Great. This should be a somewhat simple.'_

Adam planned his attack as he waited for the soldiers to go first. Whoever fired first would be at fault, and the person who struck second would be accused of self defense. Adam wasn't going to prison. He knew the law.

Adam waited the thirty seconds impatiently. Ashley needed him. Who was going to strike?!

Ashley heard a gunshot. Her back was turned to Adam. She was being pushed closer to the large battery whilst trying to back away, pushing against the soldiers behind her. When that heart-stopping noise sounded, Ashley froze. She went stock-still and waited for another noise. As she waited, the soldiers seized the moment and shoved her towards the battery. The collar on her neck was ruining everything. The handcuffs were a disadvantage.

She heard a screech. Her heavy heart lightened. She found hope again. Ashley yanked against her chains, resulting in a gun being pressed against her head.

"Watch yourself," the female soldier snapped. "Or we'll blow the vampire's brains out."

Just as Ashley was about to speak her vulgar way of expressing faith in her friend, a round of gunshots rang out and a pained screech followed. Ashley's heart sank.

_'Oh __**God**__...Adam!'_ Ashley thought mournfully. She couldn't see her friend, but she figured that she wouldn't enjoy seeing the vampire die.

Knowing that there was no point in fighting, Ashley willfully walked with the soldiers. Sergeant Tom Griffin was waiting for the depressed Techno at the console of the battery.

Ashley began to feel light-headed. Her vision danced with black spots. She felt as though she was walking in a sauna with a raging fire in the middle instead of a heater.

She could barely hear Tom, but she heard him say something about putting her hands in the tube.

_'Wha-what tube?'_ She thought. She looked to her left and saw a long, clear, cylindrical tube rise out of a hole in the console. She placed her handcuffed hands into the tube, not caring if she died anymore. She had gotten Adam killed. It should've been her. She was the one who was asked to come here in the first place, not Adam. Why did Adam have to go?

Sergeant Tom Griffin flicked a switch and Ashley immediately felt the largest jolt of electricity she had ever encountered. The pain ricocheted through her body. She screamed as the ball of energy slowly disappeared from the container and into its new human host. It seemed like eternity. Ashley just wanted it to end.

Adam lay motionless on the ground. He had heard the soldiers abandon a minute ago. He felt pain all over his body. That's all he felt since he got there. Pain. It _sucked_.

Adam shivered. He was so cold. No. He wasn't dying. He could hear Ashley screaming. He needed to stop being so useless. Ashley was dying.

The collar wasn't on him anymore. Ashley's screams sounded as though she was right beside him. His body shook as he tried to stifle his tears. Ashley was dying and he was too injured and weak to do anything. He needed Ty and Jason. He wanted Tyler and Kyle. He wished for Mitch and Jerome and Tiff. His savior was someone he never expected.

"_WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE?!_" A voice roared.

Adam managed to peek open his eyes enough to see the one and only General James Grey standing in the lab doorway, rage embedded on his face.

What General James Grey saw was beyond nauseating. He was getting too old for this. Sergeant Tom Griffin, his lifelong friend, was killing two of the members of an elite squad he had assembled. Not only that, but Adam and Ashley were two of his closest colleagues. Adam was lying half unconscious on the floor and Ashley was absorbing too much electricity.

"General!" Tom greeted over the sound of Ashley's screams. "Nice to see ya!"

"What are you doing, Tom?!" James roared as he sent a medic to check over Adam.

"Making a weapon!" Tom answered cheerfully. "Isn't she pretty?"

James growled. "How dare you?"

Tom's face was contorted with anger. "I did this for us, James! No one has to die anymore!"

"Shoot to kill, general?" One of Grey's men asked.

"Permission granted," James growled.

Without hesitation, Grey's soldiers opened fire on Tom and the rogue soldiers. It was completely unnecessary, but Grey was not letting any of the rogues get away with attempted murder. General James Grey was angry and he needed a stress reliever.

When the gunfire ceased, Tom was the only rogue that was alive. All the soldiers and some of the scientists were dead. The survivors were immediately hauled away for questioning. Only two of General Grey's soldiers stood behind.

"Tom, get away from Ashley," James ordered sternly.

While the good soldiers killed the rogues, Ashley had drained all the power from battery and had fallen to the floor, unconscious.

"But, James, my boy, look! She's alive! James, she's a weapon now!" Tom cried out cheerfully. "We're invincible now! I just need a few lab tests and-"

Bang.

The sound ricocheted throughout the quiet lab. General James Grey had pulled out his own pistol and shot Former Sergeant Tom Griffin in the head. Brain matter and blood splattered across the wall behind the deceased man.

General Grey looked around the lab. Blood and other bodily fluids lay splattered across the floor and walls. Dead bodies had yet to be cleaned up by the HAZMAT team. The general sighed. He was getting too old for this.

James Grey slowly walked over to Ashley and knelt next to her. He knew it wasn't wise to touch her after she had absorbed that much power. He never agreed to this. He didn't know how he was so oblivious to this project.

General Grey sighed in relief a half hour later when Ashley began to stir. The girl sat up and it was then did General Grey realize the differences.

Ashley's eyes were no longer brown, but bright blue with white flecks. Her hair had small dark blue and white streaks in her brown braided hair. She was a little tanner than usual. James assumed it was from the heat during the project.

Ashley blinked and rubbed her head in a weak attempt to massage away the forming headache. She looked around the lab and the deceased humans. "General? What happened?"

"Tom conducted this...project without my permission. It had to be done," General Grey answered sadly.

"So he was the one following me and Tyler," Ashley scoffed.

"What?" James asked, confused. Ashley explained the events earlier in the day with her and Tyler.

"Ah, I see," Grey said, nodding his head.

Ashley froze. "Where's Adam?" She started to get up. "Where is Adam?"

General Grey cautiously pushed her back down. "He's alive. We have medics tending to him now. He'll be okay."

Ashley put her face in her hands. "Where are the others?"

"I can call them if you want."

"Please."

So General James Grey left. He walked through the long hallways of the military base and towards his office. He reached for the phone Jason and Ashley had built for him and called Ty.

The Extraterrestrials were freaking out. Adam and Ashley had been gone for less than five hours and had managed to almost die.

When Ty had received the phone call from General Grey, he had dropped the phone and was out the door in seconds. Jason was the one who had picked up the cell and endured the remainder of the conversation. When the call was over, Jason and the other five team members were rushing after Ty.

After arriving at the base, the others were not prepared for what they saw. Ashley didn't look exactly like the Ashley they once knew. Her appearance was different. Her eyes were teary and her bloodshot.

'_Why are her eyes blue and white?!'_ The team thought as they stared at the dirty lab room. Poor, traumatized Ashley was sitting near a large container in the middle of the room. Adam was no where in sight.

Ty and the others rushed towards Ashley, crowding her, but immediately backed up when they realized they were smothering her.

Jason knelt down to Ashley's height on the floor. "Ash, I need you to tell us what happened here."

Ashley, albeit a bit distressed, recounted the details of Tom's plan. When she reached the part about Adam almost dying, it took her several minutes to calm down again.

Ty and Jason were almost in hysterics. They had known Adam the longest and they needed to know if Adam was okay. Therefore, when Ashley finished, they said they'd be back and took off to where General Grey was standing.

"James," Jason started as they reached the old man. "Where's Adam?"

"I'll see you to the med ward. Come," the general said, leaving his post and leading the two friends.

"Did you find out Tom's motive?" Ty asked.

"Yes. He was conducting this project because he felt with Ashley in the battlefield, no one in the MC Forces would have to die again. That being said, he wasn't planning on sticking anyone out there besides Ashley."

"He would just let her be killed?" Jason asked incredulously.

Grey sighed. He was getting too old for this. "Tom has always been a little unstable. He frightens quite a few of soldiers. And when I was promoted to general, he was always angry, snapping at everybody. He was an emotional wreck. I guess now we know what he really was like."

"This wasn't your fault, general," Jason assured from behind Ty and James, swiping the top of his nose, a habit he had ever since his parents died. His father used to do it all the time.

"Yeah. I know," the general sighed.

When the trio arrived at the med bay, the general turned to the two boys and said, "Keep yourselves together. For Adam's sake. Medics say he has a minor concussion, two broken ribs, and multiple cuts and bruises. He has two gunshot wounds, none fatal or else he would be dead. So, don't freak out when you see him. It'll just scare him."

General Grey already knew that Ty and Jason knew all of that. But James couldn't help but feel partially responsible. Ty and Jason waited patiently for the fifty-six year old man to finish rambling. They had a feeling that James felt responsible for Adam and Ashley's assaults. They let James talk about Adam and his injuries attentively. They figured they should take Grey's advice on being relaxed when they walked in there.

Ty winked and placed a calm hand on James' shoulder. "It's okay, general. We got this under control. It's been a long day with you coming back from war and whatnot. Go get some rest and we'll take it from here," Ty offered, though it was more of a command than an offer.

General James Grey nodded. "Alright. Good luck, boys. You're gonna need it." James then walked away from the med bay, shaking his his head as he rounded a corner. He was getting too old for this.

Ty and Jason had been in a medical ward many times before. Whether it was for themselves or for a teammate or a suspect or a victim, Ty and Jason were used to the blank walls and various machines. What they would never grow accustomed to was seeing one of their close friends stuck in that narrow bed.

When they saw Adam lying half-awake in that horrible bed, their hearts almost stopped. Adam seemed so lifeless. They knew he technically was lifeless, but his extravagant personality made him look so alive. But seeing Adam in that bed made them lose all hope in humanity. Sergeant Tom Griffin had destroyed their trust in the MC Forces except for General Grey and his good soldiers, the ones who saved Ashley and Adam by thinking quickly and taking action.

When they walked in the room, Adam looked over. He smiled and turned his attention back to the ceiling. Jason and Ty grinned. That was Adam's way of saying that he was relieved they were there and that he was grateful for them.

"Hey Adam," Jason smiled as Ty and him grabbed seats next to the bed.

"Nice to you guys have graced me with your presence," Adam answered tiredly. Ty and Jason's smiles faded.

"Are you okay?" Ty asked. "James said you took a heck of a beating."

Adam scoffed in disbelief. "No. I'm not okay. I was just attacked by freaking human soldiers and _lost_. I'm a demon and I couldn't even save Ashley!"

"Whoa! Let's chill for a moment," Jason started, slightly startled. "They _ambushed_ you! They tased you! They shot you! They put a collar on you that took away your ability to transform! You were handcuffed! You were just as vulnerable as Ashley and the soldiers! You and Ashley didn't stand a chance against them!"

Ty nodded. "He's right, Adam. There were almost twenty to thirty soldiers against two of you. Ashley told us what happened. At least you _tried _and you _survived_. We're not mad, Ashley's not mad, general's not mad, the army base isn't mad. No one is mad at you, only Tom. It's okay. You did what you could."

Adam covered his face with his hands. "God...I feel like my father..."

"Your father?" Jason questioned.

"A failure. I let down Ashley. Oh God."

"Adam, stop," Ty pleaded. "It's okay. Ashley is fine. We can get her in here. She's okay. She's making the most of it. She's even stronger than before, too. Tom is dead. General Grey killed him. It's okay. Ashley does not blame you."

"Do you think I'm like my father?"

"No." Jason confirmed sternly. "No. You're not. I've known you for, what, five, seven years? You're nothing like him. He left you with no regard as to how it would affect you. You tried to save Ashley. Hell, you try to save all of us any time you can. This time, you couldn't, and that is okay. You didn't save Ashley completely, but you bought her time. She's alive because of you. Who knows what Tom would have done if you didn't fight."

"I went down so easily..."

"Ashley said that they played you, both of you!" Ty exclaimed. "It's okay, Adam. You did fine."

Jason held Adam's hand and Ty rubbed Adam's arm. "Go to sleep, Adam," Jason whispered. "We'll be here when you wake up."

Adam closed his eyes and drifted off into the welcoming arms of darkness and sleep.

::::ONE MONTH LATER::::

With Adam's speed healing by their side, Adam was released from the med bay and out and about within a month. Adam and Ashley were smiling and laughing, albeit a bit traumatized.

Ashley was almost never home. The Count and her were always in Rose Petal Desert, testing Ashley's new strength. For a girl who was threatened and almost killed by the source that powered her, Ashley was almost perfectly fine. It hurt to have so much energy in her sometimes, but she was perfectly fine with being so powerful.

Adam was just happy for her and to be out of bed. A month of constant lying down and hospitalization does a lot for an energetic demon. He was ecstatic for Ashley when he found out she enjoyed her strength. He was happy for himself too. He didn't screw up as badly. He was overjoyed that he was the only one who got hurt and not Ashley.

It was later on in the day did Jason and Ty drag Adam outside to chat privately. It had only been a week since Adam had been discharged and they had yet to speak to Adam about his thoughts on Ashley, and more importantly, himself.

When they finally brought the vampire to a nice, shady tree, Ty asked, "So...how ya doing, Adam?" Adam stared at Ty as if the werewolf was stupid.

Jason punched Ty in the arm before saying, "We wanted to ask how you and Ashley are getting along."

Adam shrugged. "We're fine. We're a little closer than before, but other than that, we're fine."

"Okayyy." That wasn't the answer Jason was expecting. "What about you, Adam? Are you okay?'

Adam grinned. "I'm fine, guys. This was a month ago. I'm great! Ashley and I survived, Ashley's stronger now, we're closer than before now...We're okay!"

Jason sighed before opening his arms. "Come here."

Adam stared at him. "What?"

"Lemme give you a hug."

Just as Adam leaned forward to go into Jason's embrace, Ty popped out and reached the Reaper first.

"My hug," Ty snarled as Jason almost fell backwards.

Jason glared at Ty before opening his right arm so Adam could join. Adam moved to Jason's open arm and the teen wrapped it around the vampire protectively. The trio stayed like that for a little while, Ty and Adam enjoying being loved by their friend. All was great for a while...until they heard a picture being taken.

The three friends turned around, all in attack positions. Adam's eyes were orange, Ty was growling, and Jason's hand was out, ready to summon his scythe before they could all realize what they just heard.

Instead of seeing an enemy, they saw their six friends laughing at them. The trio sighed at their stupidity and their friends' stupidity.

"Oh my God!" Ashley laughed. "I can't believe you got it, Mitch!"

"Send it to Ian and Quentin, biggums!" Jerome said, laughing as well.

"I should!" Mitch agreed, smiling. The three friends immediately looked up.

"_No. Don't you dare._" Adam warned.

"I'm about to hit send..." Mitch teased.

"Yoink." The phone was suddenly snatched out of Mitch's hands. Jason reappeared next to Adam and Ty, phone in his grip.

"I suddenly have a burning hate for teleporting Reapers," Kyle said as the group stared at the laughing trio. Their teammates stopped laughing.

Jason pouted. "That's not nice..."

Adam and Ty glared at the terrified group.

"That was Kyle! Kyle said it! Tiff and I are innocent! We didn't say anything!" Tyler protested. Tiff nodded her head frantically.

"_What?!_" Jerome asked. "You had _everything_ to do with it!"

"You've got three seconds to run," Adam said. "One...two..."

The group took off running into the forest. Adam turned into a Demon Bird and Ty in his Mutant Wolf form.

_**"Get on,"**_ Adam said. Jason climbed onto the supernatural's feathery back. _**"Hold on really tight, Jason. I don't want you to fall."**_

"It won't hurt?" Jason questioned.

_**"No. Grab on tight."**_ Jason placed the phone in his pocket and held onto Adam's feathers. Adam took off to the skies while Ty covered the ground.

"You know, it has been a long time since we've seen Ian, Quentin, Dan, Ant, Jin..." Jason trailed off.

_**"I know. Let's text them after we catch these idiots and invite them to a picnic or something. That sound good?"**_

Jason snickered. "Yeah. Yeah it does."

::::TIME LAPSE::::

In front of Ty, Adam, and Jason, their six friends sat in the living room, bound together with rope. They were all frowning, not happy with the trio smiling in front of them.

"I don't like Reapers," Kyle muttered again.

Jason opened and closed his mouth in silent protest. "What did I do?! This was all Adam and Ty!"

Adam held his hands up. "Hey. It was _their_ fault. They took the picture and were being mean to you."

Ty looked at the ceiling. "What he said."

Jason stared at Ty. "Why are you looking at the ceiling? I'm over here." Ty looked down at Jason. When Jason turned his attention back to the others, Ty returned to the ceiling.

"Uh, Jason?" Mitch said, looking at Ty.

Jason didn't bother looking back. "Ignore him."

Adam flopped himself onto the couch. "Jason and I have been thinking about inviting our old buddies for a picnic or a party or something. What do you guys think?"

"Sounds like fun," Tiff piped up. The others agreed.

"Awesome," Jason exclaimed, taking out his own phone. "Let's send a selfie as the invite picture. Come on, Adam!"

"At least untie us first!" Tyler said.

"Nah," Ty disagreed, waving off the teenager.

"Say 'cheese'!" Adam smiled as Jason took the picture. Adam, Ty, and Jason stared at the picture in delight.

"It's beautiful," Adam said. "Send it and invite them."

"Okay." Jason yawned. "I'm tired."

"Same," Ty agreed, Adam nodding.

"And send. All right. Good night, guys!" Jason said as the trio walked out of the room.

"Wait what?!" Kyle yelled. "Come back!"

Adam popped his head back into the room. "That's right!" He flicked off the light, leaving the group tied up in the darkness. "That light bill doe." He left.

"ADAM!" The group yelled.

There was silence in the room before Jerome said, "Guys...I gotta pee."

3:42 A.M.

A vampire crept silently through the base, blending within the shadows of the halls. It slowly approached the Lounge, where the six teammates were still tied up.

When it reached the room, it carefully freed the sleeping Ashley from her binds and carried her to her room. He contemplated changing her clothes, but felt that that would be an invasion of privacy. He tucked her in and quickly wrote a note to leave on her nightstand. The vampire slinked out of the room and back into its own.

9:28 A.M.

When Ashley woke up that morning, she was lying in her own bed. She sat up and looked around in search for a clue to how she got there. Her eyes fell upon a note on her desk.

It read: _Vampires are known to travel together. We don't abandon each other. We look out for our own. When one is hurt, we don't leave them behind. _

_I'm sorry, Ashley, that I couldn't protect you from Tom, but I'm glad you enjoy your newfound power. From now on, I'll try even harder to save any of you. I'll risk everything I have. Love you, Ash. _

_~ Adam_

When Ashley walked down downstairs for breakfast later that morning, she tackled Adam from behind with a hug. From his seat on the bench, Adam could only smile and hold her hands that were wrapped around his neck.

"Love you too, Adam!" Ashley giggled.

The others looked on in confusion, slowly putting the pieces together.

Ashley and Adam were supposed to be traumatized, that was Tom's goal, but events like these only makes The Extraterrestrials harder, better, faster, and stronger, all the way until they're unstoppable.

**Hello my Mortem Venators! Sorry for this late update. This is a very belated birthday gift for my great friend, Candyphone. Sorry this is so late, buddy! Happy Belated Birthday! Love you! I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter. This update probably made me bang my head against the wall the most. This was such a difficult chapter! Thanks so much for reading! Until then, stay safe, take care, love you, God bless, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA! **


	8. A Vending Machine

**Hello my Mortem Venators! Welcome to another chapter of The Days of the Unknown. This is just a quick chapter on something I saw on the news. It was about a vending machine that was placed in neighborhoods where there was only one child's book out of 830 kids. The vending machine was like a regular V.M. but it held kid books. It was for free and you could keep the book. I found that pretty awesome. So please, enjoy! R&amp;R!**

A Vending Machine

When Adam lived on the streets, it wasn't like he could go to school. He was more focused on avoiding the orphanage, or rather people in general.

So, in reality, Adam wasn't smart in anything besides surviving and being a criminal. It sucked. He wanted to know something valuable. He didn't even know how to read! When he tried to, he'd get stuck on a word he didn't even know existed and eventually gave up after a bit.

And then he met Ty and Jason.

They didn't know he was illiterate. They didn't know he couldn't do simple math. They didn't know he couldn't do much.

They eventually figured it out of course.

The trio was back in the forests once more. They approaching the next city, Lapis Lazuli City. But as luck would have it, the sign stating the city's name and distance was high above their heads. The sun was beating onto the sign, creating a glare that disguised the lettering. The best way to read the sign was to climb a tree of equal height to read.

"Adam," Jason had said. "You can climb trees the quickest. Do you think you can read the sign for us?"

Adam had hesitated. It was true he was more skilled in climbing things than Ty and Jason, but _reading_ the sign? There were very few words Adam could read, all of them very simple. Cities, however, tended to have longer words in their name, ones Adam couldn't pronounce.

Adam stared at the ground as he muttered, "I can't do that."

Ty's worried voice sounded from beside the teen. "Is there something wrong, Adam?"

Adam sighed. "I'm, uh...I'm illiterate. I can speak complicated words, but I can't read and write."

There was silence between the three males. Adam suddenly felt a hand clap onto his back.

"How about I go read the sign and when we find a place to sleep, Jason and I help you write?" Ty questioned.

Adam looked up. "You'd do that?"

"Yeah, of course, dude. Why not?" Ty responded. The teen began climb the nearest tree, disappearing with the leaves a minute later.

"So you're illiterate?" Jason asked. Adam nodded, a blush creeping up his neck. Jason grinned. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. I could see how when you're more focused on surviving than reading a novel."

"It's something I've always wanted to do, but I always get stuck on a word every time I try. Either that or I don't know a word's definition."

Jason nodded in understanding. "Well, now you have Ty and I. We have your back."

"Thanks, Jason," Adam smiled.

But as fate would have it, the teens never did have the time. Mistakes were made and Lapis Lazuli City soon had wanted posters posted on every block, searching for the teen with the orange eyes. Too busy avoiding the authorities in several towns, the trio didn't have the time to teach Adam, much less get their hands on a physical book or paper.

A while later, when the trio was settled down with Jerome, Mitch, Lola, and Detroit, the teens had forgotten about teaching Adam. To be fair, Adam had too. He was so busy keeping up with Ty's werewolf abilities, he forgot about his reading and writing disability. Of course, he never really had to read or write anything.

After a few months living in Redwood, Adam had picked up an actual book for the first time in ages. It was a novel he had found in his and Ty's shared room. He asked if he could borrow it, and when Ty said he could, the werewolf sat beside the demon bird, coaching him through complicated words and several sophisticated sentences.

Adam struggled for a while. Even though Ty had the patience of a man of stone, Adam's self-confidence was wearing thin. It was embarrassing to stumble over words that Ty could say in a heartbeat!

Jason helped too, especially when Ty was out hunting or doing whatever Ty does. Jason was just as patient as Ty, and Adam wasn't surprised. Jason was so calm and collected, it was rare to see him angry.

After a while, a call came from General James Grey, calling a meeting with the males in the household. They were told that they were being moved to a base in Kroak Forest, that they were now part of an elite squad with no name.

Forced to leave their home, the guys said their farewells to Lola and Detroit, wondering if they'll ever have time to see the females again.

Upon arriving at their new home, Mitch, Jerome, Adam, Ty, and Jason were met with the sight of people they knew from past experiences. They quickly became accustomed to their surroundings and began to enjoy themselves. The trio effectively forgot about Adam's problem once more, including the demon himself.

One morning, Adam was walking around Kroak City alone. The others were off doing whatever and Adam was by himself. He had been walking around for almost an hour when he saw a vending machine near a playground.

Thinking that it was a drink vending machine, Adam walked over to it, hand already fishing in his pocket for his wallet. But upon arriving at the machine, he realized it wasn't a regular vending machine.

The container was like a regular vending machine, but instead of snacks and drinks, book were held in the slots. Adam stared at the many paperback and hardback novels, eyes landing on a dictionary and a special reading help book. Adam was about to pay for the two hardbacks, but as he took out his wallet, he found there was no dollar or coin slot. Instead, a small message was taped above the keypad.

**'Property of Kroak City. This special book vending machine was made for those in need of help reading or cannot find any child friendly books in their neighborhood. This vending machine is free and any book taken does not need to be returned. Have fun reading!'**

Adam didn't need to be told twice. He quickly punched in the numbers for each book and took them. He practically ran home and holed himself in his room, grabbing a novel Ty let him borrow from his nightstand. He dressed himself in pajamas and got comfortable on his bed.

With the ceiling lights turned off, bedside lamp on, coffee on bedside table, and books strewn near him, Adam began his reading adventure. The demon bird read the novel slowly, looking to the special help book for tips and tricks on reading difficult words and turning to the dictionary when he came across a word he didn't understand.

When Ty and Jason returned to the base almost two hours later, they went to Adam's room, bags in Jason's hands.

"Hey, Adam. Sorry we're late. The teleporters were down for maintenance so we had to walk all the back from Red-" Jason paused as his and Ty's eyes landed on the sight of Adam situated on his bed, hardly paying attention.

"Adam?" Ty asked slowly.

Adam looked up, a proud smile on his face. "Hey!"

Jason and Ty slowly crept into Adam's dark room, gazing upon the small setup he had created.

"What did you do here?" Jason questioned, half amused and half proud of what the demon bird had created.

"You wouldn't believe what happened to me today," Adam said, excited to share his discoveries.

"What happened?" Ty asked. So Adam told them. He told them about the vending machine and how he had come home, using the dictionary and special help guide to his advantage.

"And how far did you get?" Jason asked, proud of his friend and interested to hear more about Adam's accomplishments.

"I got through the first four chapters by myself!" Adam exclaimed.

"Was that with the dictionary and guide?" Ty questioned.

"Well, duh. But you know what I mean."

"I am so proud of you, Adam!" Jason praised, tackling the older in a tight hug.

"Jason, don't knock over my coffee!" Adam yelped.

Ty merely stared at the books in amazement. He was proud of Adam, that was for sure, but he was amazed at how far the demon had gotten in a mere two hours.

"Ty? You good?" Adam asked, holding Jason in the hug.

"Uh, yeah. We actually got you something while we were out. Isn't that right, Jason?" Ty said, emphasizing the last sentence to get the teen's attention.

"Yeah. Hold on." Jason released Adam and began to open a Barnes &amp; Noble bag. The reaper then pulled out a white board and a plastic poster that had the alphabet in print on one side and cursive on the other. It demonstrated capital and lowercase letters for both cursive and print.

Upon looking at Adam's confused expression, Jason explained. "We are going to teach you how to write."

Adam's eyes grew wide. "Really?"

"Yep." Ty reached for the white board and tore off the plastic wrap surrounding it. He pulled the dry erase marker out its pocket and handed it to Adam. "Here. Hold this in your dominant hand."

"Dominant...?" As Jason helped him figure out what was his dominant hand, Ty carefully cleaned up Adam's setup, careful to bookmark his page. He then set up the white board and flipped the placemat onto the print lettering side.

Once Adam was ready, Ty and Jason began to lead him through the steps of writing. They started with the capital letter alphabet, then lowercase, then simple words, then larger words, and finally, sentences.

Adam was beginning to learn how to read and write. He owed it all to his friends and one simple vending machine.

**So I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. I honestly thought how that free book vending machine idea was absolutely brilliant and I admired the idea. As you can see, Detroit and Lola made not-really-but-they're-mentioned cameos. Please, please, please let me know if you want to see them in The Days of the Unknown. Please let me know in a PM or in the review section. Thank you so much for reading. Until then, stay safe, take care, God bless, love you, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**


	9. Labor Day

"I don't wanna move..." Adam moaned, sprawled out on the couch.

"Ah, fuck!" Jason winced as he stumbled and hit the doorway of the Lounge. The team's eyes widened as they stared at the damaged Reaper.

"Jay, did that thing get you?" Jerome asked concernedly as the teen sat down next to Adam's feet.

Jason nodded, grimacing. "Yeah. On my leg and arm. But I'll be fine. I took care of it at the general's bunker."

"By yourself?!" Adam exclaimed, slowly sitting up and holding his abdomen.

"Well, yeah. Those stingers weren't going to come out themselves," Jason replied. "And why the hell are you worried about me right now? You got slammed into a tree and then tossed against a freaking mountain. You should be dead."

Adam sighed. "One, I'm already dead. Two, I was a Demon Bird so it didn't hurt much. And three, I have speed healing. You don't! Jay, you should've told us!"

Jason rolled his eyes. "I'm fine. Where's Tyler?" He asked, worry suddenly flooding in his voice. "He got hit the hardest."

Ty nodded grimly from the fireplace, holding an ice pack to his shoulder. "He's with Mitch and Ashley right now. They're trying to help the doctors there stabilize him."

"Where's Kyle?" Tiff questioned. "I would think he'd be with Tyler."

"He's with General Grey cleaning up. You know how Kyle is. He'll work his ass off if it means getting his mind off stress," Jason sighed, leaning against the back of the couch. He hissed as his arm hit the couch.

Adam raised an eyebrow. "I really think you should check those wounds again, Jay."

"Oh, I didn't know we were sharing opinions now, Adam," Jason snarled, only succeeding in concerning the other teammates even more.

"Jay," Ty started in a quiet and slow voice. "You're tired. Go to sleep."

"Shut the hell up, Ty. Please." Jason tilted his head back and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Adam looked at the Bacca, who was perched on the loveseat in the corner. Jerome nodded and walked out of the room, grabbing his cell phone from the table. Jason let his hand fall down to his side and picked his head back up, opening his eyes again.

He sighed. "Sorry, guys."

"It's okay, Jason," Tiff said quietly. "Just relax. You worked your ass off today."

"I guess." Jason took a deep breath and held his right arm. "I wonder how Tyler's doing. He was barely moving."

Ty groaned as he jostled his shoulder. "He'll be okay. When Mitch looked at him, he said the most he'd have was a concussion and maybe a couple broken bones. He'll live. Tyler gets through almost everything."

"Yeah. I guess so."

A comfortable silence fell in the Lounge, its occupants slowly growing more and more tired. Jerome walked back into the room, an exhausted look on his face.

"I'm going to head back over to the military base," he said to Adam. "I told Mitch to bring it when he comes home, but he said he didn't know when he would come back and that he wants to give it to us now."

"Yeah. Alright," Adam replied, yawning. "I'll go with you."

"No, dude. You're tired and, to be honest, you got your ass handed to you. Chill for a while. I won't be long."

"You sure?" Ty asked. "You're tired too and there's a lot of things in that forest."

"Yeah. I'm sure." Jerome smiled. "I'll be back soon." And with that, the Bacca left the room.

Silence fell in the room again. There was the occasional sigh or deep breath, but besides that, the room remained quiet.

Jason moved to stand and leave the room for a moment when he let out a pained moan, gripping his side. The other three looked at him in a split second. The Reaper's eyes were squeezed shut in pain and his face was pale. Adam sat back up and put a hand to Jason's back.

"Jay...what's wrong?" Adam questioned, searching the teen up and down for any reason to his pain.

"I don't know," Jason hissed. "I wasn't hit on my side, so why is it hurting?"

"Tiff, call Mitch," Ty ordered, standing to go find a medkit. Tiff nodded and grabbed her phone from her pocket. She left with Ty, leaving Adam and Jason on the couch.

"Jason, can you tell me how it feels right now?" Adam asked soothingly, trying to remain calm.

"Have you ever been stabbed in the side, Adam?" Jason groaned.

"Yeah...a couple times."

"It feels like that, but I'm being pierced with a flaming sword instead."

Adam pulled Jason into an embrace and lifted the side of the teen's shirt. He moved Jason's hand away and looked at the Reaper's abdomen.

"Jason...why are there so many scars here?" Adam interrogated quietly. Jason's side had several scars going in several different lines. Some were ragged, some were straight, and some were heavily damaged.

"Can I explain that one later?" He asked, groaning as he covered it again.

"Well, since you can explain those scars, that's not a part of the problem right now," Adam sighed, unhappy about letting the scars go.

Jason opened his eyes and looked at Adam. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Adam replied, looking down at the small teen.

"Tiff didn't tell you?" Jason asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Tell me what?"

"About the new Sergeant that replaced Tom. John Peters."

"What about him?" Adam asked, slowly thinking that he really didn't want to know.

"Adam...he died," Jason whispered.

Adam's jaw clenched. "How?" He growled, angry at the damn demons who attacked them.

Jason, however, misunderstood the vampire's anger and tensed. "Adam, I-"

"Jason. I'm not mad at you or Tiff. I just want to know how he died."

"Tiff was stationed at the base and she told us Tyler was in trouble. I told Kyle to go help him since we were the closest ones. After he had left, the demon I was fighting suddenly called out and five more demons came. Sergeant Peters suddenly came and helped me kill them, telling me that the general sent him. We thought they were all dead, but one of them twitched. Before I could tell him to move or push him out of the way, one of the stingers impaled him through the back and out the heart."

"_Shit_." Adam closed his eyes. "He was, what thirty-five?"

"Thirty-two."

Just as Adam was about to reply, Tiff and Ty rushed back in. Ty was empty handed and both faces were grim.

Tiff spoke first. "Mitch told me those things were called Snark demons. He said they are in the "poison puffball" category. They come in seven different colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. All the colors of the rainbow. They take the small appearance of tumbleweeds and transform into puffball looking things when encountered. Their teeth are poisonous spikes that can be launched. Sort of like Adam's feathers, they are immediately replaced. So, to sum it all up, Jason...you're poisoned."

Adam blinked a couple times and raised his eyebrows, shaking his head, trying to process it all. "_What_?"

Jason and Ty, however, managed to understand much quicker than the Demon Bird.

"He's poisoned?!" Ty growled. Jason merely stared in shock.

Tiff nodded and smiled nervously, quickly waving her hands. "But don't worry! It'll be okay! Jerome's on his way back with the antidote and whatever Adam asked Jerome to get."

"Painkillers," Adam piped up.

"Why didn't Mitch give everyone the antidote beforehand?" Ty asked.

Tiff shrugged. "He was too busy helping Tyler. You gotta remember that on the battlefield, Mitch is _everywhere_. He's called when someone's injured, when someone encounter a demon or monster, when someone needs backup...he's everywhere."

Jason attempted to move away from Adam's embrace, but the vampire just lifted him onto his lap. Jason rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah. I guess so. Tiff, did you talk to the general yet?"

Tiff looked down and began tapping the front of her shoe into the ground, a sad look on her face. "Yeah. I have to go with Grey to go talk to the family...I don't want to."

"What family?" Ty questioned, looking at the trio.

"The Peters family, Ty," Jason answered. "Sergeant died."

Ty pursed his lips and let out a deep breath through his nose. He nodded. "Yeah." He sighed. "Okay."

"I didn't mean for him to die," Tiff whispered. "I look away from the screen for a couple seconds and...he's dead. His heart stopped and I saw a spike being pushed through his chest."

Adam was about to respond when Jerome's voice echoed through the base. "Guys! Mitch wants you all to take this just in case!"

"Where are you?" Ty yelled back.

"Right behind you." Jerome suddenly came through the doorway, a large box in his hands. He placed the box on the glass coffee table and opened. Pulling out four syringes filled with a yellow liquid, Jerome handed everyone except Tiff the antidote.

"Uh, Tiff, he said you should be fine, but if you feel any sudden pain, to let him know," Jerome informed, smiling at the pink-haired teen.

"Yeah. Okay," she replied, watching as the boys injected the syringes into their bloodstreams. "Why was Jason the only one feeling pain?"

"Because he's not a real demon," the Bacca answered. "Demons feel pain much later, when they're about to die. It actually hurts a lot more than what Jason felt."

"Ty's not a real demon," Jason pointed out.

"I wasn't exactly stabbed by the things," Ty answered. "They just threw a tree at my shoulder."

"How bad did that one hurt?" Jerome asked, throwing himself back onto the loveseat.

"How bad did it hurt when they slammed you into that mountain a couple times?"

"A lot."

"Now take a freaking jungle tree and throw it ninety miles per hour at your shoulder."

"I feel pain."

"That's what I felt."

"When were you thrown into the mountain?"

"Right after you blacked out for ten minutes."

"Ow."

"Yeah."

Silence filled the room. Everyone was lost in thought, thinking about the humiliating and destructive battle they almost lost against brightly colored fuzzballs.

Tiff leaned her head against the wall. "Guys, Grey wants us to go to the wake at the base tomorrow."

"What wake?" Jerome asked. "Who died?"

"Can we wait until everyone comes home so we don't have to go through the pain of saying it again?" Jason groaned, still attempting to pull away from Adam.

"JAY, STOP MOVING!"

"ADAM, LET GO!"

"GUYS, SENSITIVE HEARING HERE!" Jerome and Ty yelled.

"THEN WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING?!" Adam and Jason argued.

"WILL ALL OF YOU KINDLY SHUT UP?!" Tiff screamed.

"NO!" The males snapped. Tiff immediately raised her hand to slap them all, a pissed look on her face. The boys immediately shut their mouths and leaned back, not ready to face the wrath of the female.

"Exactly. Hype the fuck down."

Adam cleared his throat. "Right. Jerome, did Mitch say when they'll all be home?"

"I told you earlier. He doesn't know. But he did say he, Tyler, and Ashley will be back late in the night. Kyle should be coming back soon."

Adam sighed and threw Jason off the couch, causing the Reaper to hiss.

"Adam! I'm still injured, dammit!"

"That sucks."

"Adam..."

"I should run..."

::::LATER ON THAT NIGHT::::

Knock, knock.

Jerome looked up from his spot on the bed, eyes lifting up from his phone. "Come in!"

Mitch slowly pushed open the door, an exhausted and worn look on his face. He closed the door behind him and looked at his friend. "What's up?"

"Dude, you look like crap."

"Well, that's no way to greet your soulmate."

"Mitch, you're drunk."

Mitch rolled his eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Playing games on my phone, trying to fall asleep. Did you just get home?"

"Yeah. Adam carried Tyler to his room. Said I was too tired to do it myself. I wasn't going to argue."

"I would've sided with Adam if I was there. You look like you can't even carry your own weight."

Mitch snorted. "You're probably right."

Jerome patted a spot on his bed. "Come on, buddy. Let's chat 'til one of us falls asleep."

"You do know that if I fall asleep here first, I won't move until the morning, right?"

Jerome winked. "Don't fall asleep then."

Mitch smiled and shook his head, sitting on the bed. "So what happened while I was gone?"

"Not much. Everyone was kinda tired and Jason was aggravated, not to mention, in pain."

"Did you guys give him the painkillers?"

"Yeah. Knocked him right the hell out."

"That's the reason I gave those to you. He wouldn't have gone to sleep otherwise."

Jerome grinned at the tired teen. "Mitch, you sly dog."

Mitch smirked. "I know you all too well."

"Very true. On that note, how's Tyler anyway?"

Mitch exhaled slowly through his mouth and shook his head. "For a human who was sniped out of a high tree, he's doing fine. I dunno. Ash and I were working and he woke up twice. With all the shit we were pumping into him, he shouldn't have woken up at all until tomorrow morning!" Mitch closed his eyes and laid back on the bed.

"Well that's weird," Jerome thought out loud. "Do you think Ash knows why?"

"Believe me, if I don't know why and Ashley didn't tell me if she knew, then she really doesn't know. She knows not to hide stuff like that during serious situations."

Jerome made a noise in the back of his throat. "Do you think Tyler's really human?"

"It's possible. I have heard of several humans who can pull stuff like this off. But there's still a possibility he's supernatural."

"Is there any way he can be a supernatural and not know?"

"_No._ Believe me, there have been demons who tried to believe they were humans. If you are a demon, you will know _immediately_," Mitch answered. "And if he was lying for some reason, although I don't know why he would, then Adam and Ty would've sniffed that out almost as soon as he said it the first time. But that's just me thinking out loud."

All was quiet for a moment. Jerome stayed sitting next to Mitch, thinking about the teen's concerns.

_'Even if Mitch is right, it makes things so much more complicated! And then again, there's no way Tyler could lie to any of us!'_

Jerome was about to speak again when he heard slow and leveled breathing. He looked down to see Mitch knocked out and snoring softly. Jerome snickered and shook his head. He gently picked up his friend and carried to Mitch's respective room. The Bacca tucked him into bed and grinned before saying goodnight and walking out the door.

::::LATER THE NEXT MORNING::::

"Can someone tell me why my head's pounding and I feel like absolute shit?"

All heads turned to the kitchen's double doors to see Tyler standing there, hand pressed to his forehead.

"Well," Mitch started. "You were sniping the Snarks from the top of a jungle tree and one slashed out the branch you were sitting on and you fell out of the tree."

"I was _sniped_ from a _jungle tree_?!"

"Yeah," Mitch stated simply.

Tyler exhaled and sat down on the bench to Kyle. "Am I the only one who wants to stay home today?"

"Nope," the team agreed.

"But we can't," Jason sighed.

"Why not?" Kyle asked. All eyes were on Jason. Tiff cleared her throat, diverting the attention to her.

"I have bad news," she began sadly. "Some of you already know, but we have a death." Half the team's jaws dropped. Those who already knew what was coming looked down. "Sergeant John Edward Peters has passed away."

"_What?!_" Ashley exclaimed. "But he was so young! What happened?!"

Tiff sighed. "General Grey sent him to help Jason once Kyle had left to help Tyler. They both thought the Snarks to be dead, but one managed to sneak up on them both. A spike went through Peters' back and through his heart. General Grey would like us to attend the wake at the base."

The team fell silent, all thinking about the loss of a beloved comrade. John had only been sergeant for a little while, taking the position after Tom was killed. The team had taken a liking to the man quickly, his sense of humour and outgoing personality cracked a smile on everyone's face. He was a hardworking man. To see someone so bright and vibrant dead just ruined everyone's day.

Mitch slammed his fist into the table, startling everyone. "Those damn demons!"

Adam sighed. "So when does this wake start, Tiff?"

The female looked to the analog clock on the wall. "An hour from now."

The team looked at each other with wide eyes before bolting off as fast as they could without hurting themselves to get dressed.

::::OUTSIDE THE BASE::::

Jason sighed. "I'm really not ready to walk in there."

Adam rubbed Jason's back comfortingly. "I don't think any of us are."

All of the men stood in black tuxedos and the females stood in black dresses. Tiff's dress was tight and hugged her body in a beautiful yet appropriate way. Ashley's was a little more loose, hugging only her chest and expanding into something of a skirt towards her knees.

"Are you guys ready?" Ashley asked, the lightning in her eyes dancing spastically.

Everyone nodded and stepped into the large base. The first thing they saw was a sign that read, "WAKE THIS WAY" with an arrow pointing down the hall. The team sighed at the constant reminder and headed in the direction of the arrow.

Upon arriving at the doors that lead the team into the wake room, they all took a deep breath and looked at each other for comfort. Tyler pushed open the doors and came face to face with something of a party.

Red and black balloons and streamers decorated the large room. There were long tables filled with food and drinks, some beverages alcoholic and some not. Soldiers dressed in black stood around the room, chatting away. Some were kneeling at the pew in the back where John's body was in an open casket that was sitting on a red carpet stage, red curtains surrounding it.

"What the hell...?" Ashley whispered as they gazed around the room. "What is this?"

"Team ET!" A voice shouted, catching the team's attention. General Grey walked towards them, his outfit a black tuxedo and his medals pinned to his shoulder.

"General," Kyle started. "What's going on? Isn't this a wake?"

General James Grey nodded. "It is. But it's also Labor Day. Did you forget?"

Jason rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah. I guess we did. Thanks, General, for serving our nation for almost...what? Twenty years now?"

"Thank you, Jason," James replied, smiling. "And I'd like to thank you guys as well."

"For?" Adam asked.

"You guys are soldiers as much as any of us. You serve your country, even if you aren't noticed for it. I know a few of you were injured yesterday. I can tell by the way Jason is leaning on his other leg." Jason blushed. General Grey chuckled. "John is over there in the back. Tiff, his family is at the pew when you're ready."

Tiff nodded. "Yes sir. Is there something specific you want me to say?"

General Grey smiled sadly. "How he died and how good of a sergeant he was because hell, he was a great one."

The team nodded in agreement and set off towards the casket together because the way Tiff looked right now, they sure as hell weren't letting her go alone.

After a few minutes of squeezing through the crowd in the least painful way possible, Supernaturally Unlimited arrived at the casket. A woman in her thirties with black hair and tan skin was kneeling down and crying, hands covering her eyes. Two little girls who looked exactly like the man in the casket were crying too, holding onto their mother. The little girls had brown hair and stunningly bright blue eyes, the most beautiful blue they'd ever seen and on one person...John.

Tiff reached to touch the woman's shoulder. "Miss?"

The woman removed her hands as she turned around, revealing teary caramel brown eyes. "Are you Tiff Hudson?"

Tiff nodded and smiled. "Yeah," she replied softly. "Did General Grey tell you about me?"

"Yeah." The woman stood up and held out her hand. "Lena. Lena Peters." She paused. "Well, Lena Jansen now."

Tiff looked at the woman sadly. "I know. Sergeant Peters spoke a lot about you. I've never heard a man speak so highly about his wife and daughters. He was a really great man."

Lena nodded, a grateful smile on her face. "How did he-?"

Tiff pursed her lips and swallowed thickly, preparing herself to answer. Tyler noticed this and stepped up.

"I'm sorry to say this, but your husband's death was partially my fault," Tyler began, stunning the team behind him. He was going to take the fall for their mistakes?! "I was positioned on top of a tree and one of our...targets managed to snipe me off. I was unconscious, and while I was, one of my teammates was left alone. Sergeant Peters was ordered to go help him. He was attacked from behind. A spear went through his back and pierced his heart, a quick death. We're sorry."

The woman and the team were silent. Tyler had taken the blame and who knew how the woman was going to react? John had always spoken about her being smart and sensical, but her husband was gone and she was in distress. Much to their surprise, Lena nodded.

"I don't blame you. I blame those who were fighting. I suppose it was a...difficult battle?"

Jason rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. They were able to attack from a distance and they were quick, making it hard for us to get close to them."

Lena furrowed her eyebrows. "Are you the anonymous elite squad John always talked about?"

Mitch chuckled. "We don't really see the purpose in being called an 'elite squad', but yeah, I suppose we are," he answered kindly.

Lena smiled. "The way he spoke of you, you sound elite to me. He always said you guys were the best at what you do, at the battles you partake in. He said you guys never failed a mission."

Adam pursed his lips. "John and our team had very different versions of 'fail'. In our book, we have failed a lot. This mission was one of them."

"John," she repeated slowly, a smile on her face. "He told me about that. He told me he liked you guys so much, like General Grey, he didn't want you to call him Sergeant Peters. You must've been really kind to him."

Jerome laughed. "John was a really great guy. Everyone loved him. He was so kind and funny. We all loved having him around. When he was supposed to act as sergeant, he was really supportive, unlike former sergeant Thomas Griffin. He was the best person Grey could've chosen."

"General Grey always knows best," Lena laughed. She pushed her curious daughters in front of her. "Did he mention our daughters by any chance?"

Ashley knelt down to the girls' height. "He mentioned beautiful girls, but he never mentioned them to be _this_ beautiful. I suppose that wasn't his fault. They're too gorgeous to be described with just words!"

The team chuckled. John loved his daughters with all his heart, and when the team asked about them, he would go on and on. Not only that, but Ashley was the best one to talk to kids.

"Now," Ashley started. "John said he had two twin girls name Sadie and Sarah, but I can't seem to figure out who is who!" The twin girls giggled. Ashley smiled. "Your daddy told me that Sadie, I believe it was, is the taller one. So..." She eyed the twin girls thoughtfully.

One of the girls was clearly taller, almost two inches taller than the other. Ashley knew it, the team knew it, and of course, Lena knew it. They all knew Sadie was the one on the left, but to make the girls laugh, Ashley chose wrong.

The Techno pointed to the girl on the right. "Sadie?" The girls laughed and shook their heads joyfully.

"No!" Sarah giggled. "I'm Sarah!"

"Oh no!" Ashley exclaimed, putting her hands to her cheeks. "How did I guess wrong?"

The team and Lena laughed as Ashley chatted with the girls some more. The group talked for a while about John and the twins. They had been speaking for a while before Sadie touched Ashley's cheek. She jerked her hand away. The team fell silent. Ashley was self-conscious about what Tom had done to her. To their surprise, however, Ashley smiled.

"Hot?" She asked. Sadie nodded. "Yeah. I'm told that a lot. Did I burn you?" She took Sadie's hand into her own, palm facing up and being careful to not burn her again. The little girl's hand was bright red, clearly irritated. A flash of regret went across Ashley's face in a second.

"Here let me get you ice to put on it." Ashley stood and walked to the nearby table, grabbing an ice cube and plopped it onto a napkin. She wrapped up the ice and pressed it to Sadie's palm. "Better?" She asked. Sadie smiled and nodded.

"Your eyes are pretty," Sarah suddenly commented. Ashley blinked a couple times in surprise before smiling.

"Thank you."

Lena looked to Adam. "Are my daughters bothering her?"

Adam shook his head. "Ashley's a little...different than others, but your daughters are treating her so nicely."

"John did that," Lena sighed. "He taught them well."

Before Adam could respond, General Grey's voice came through the speakers on the walls. They looked around before spotting him on yet another small stage on the left side of the room. He was standing behind the podium and smiling.

"We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of Sergeant John Edward Peters. He was a courageous and noble man..." General Grey continued his speech and the room fell silent to listen.

After a few minutes, he finally said, "I would like to invite the elite squad John and I have worked very closely with. Team Unknown, please come to the stage." The team walked through the crowd, soldiers and their families parting away to let them through. They stood next to General Grey on either side and stood tall.

"These people have been protecting our nation, both in war and in classified missions. Yet, they have not been thanked once. That changes on this Labor Day. Team Unknown," General Grey said, pausing. The team looked at him. "Thank you. Thank you for all that you do. We sincerely appreciate all that you've done."

"We couldn't have done it without you, General," Adam replied. "Thank you."

**And that was my very late Labor Day chapter. Sorry! Anyways, I really hoped you guys enjoyed. If you did, please leave a review thanking the soldiers who fight for **_**your**_ **country or your local law enforcement, such as the police officers, the firefighters, the paramedics, and all those I have missed. And for those who have parents or siblings who are soldiers or a part of law enforcement, I sincerely pray for you and your families. Now, I have gathered a few people who want to say something to you:**

**Lustfuleyes1000: "Thank you for your service."**

**LovecraftFan: "I would simply like to say 'Thank you for your service and may you live a long and fruitful life.'"**

**Candyphone: "Thank you for your service. Without you, life here [in America] would be completely different."**

**The-Cat-Loving-Kid: "I would like to thank the military forces who fight and have fought to keep our countries safe."**

**DARKSOMEONE41 (Me): "I would just like to say thank you so much to those who risk their lives to keep us safe. I honestly respect the soldiers and officers and firefighters and paramedics and all those beautiful people more than I respect myself. I cannot express how much I respect them. I wish I could, but I can't. I want to say: thank you. You have kept me and my family safe and I can rest well knowing that should I die, you will ensure that my murderer will be put behind bars. Thank you so much for putting your lives out there for us. And for those who have passed away, I still thank you. You risked your life to save the lives of those you don't even know. Thank you."**

**Until then, stay safe, take care, God bless, love you, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA**


	10. 911

The team, minus Jason, lay spread out across the Lounge, some on their phones and some playing Crazy 8's. It was just a few days after Labor Day and they were still trying to get over John's death. Things weren't the same anymore. The world wasn't as bright.

"Adam!" Jason yelled, bursting into the Lounge, holding the door frame in a death grip. His eyes were wide and his face was pale. The team looked over immediately.

Adam shot up on the couch. "Jay, what's wrong?"

"We gotta go. _Now_." Jason answered, out of breath.

"Jason, what's wrong?" Adam asked again, standing up.

"The military base," he started. "It was attacked."

At the same time, the whole team sprung up.

_"WHAT?!"_

::::AT THE MILITARY BASE::::

The Supernaturals stared at the burning top secret base in shock for a moment before springing into action. Ty and Adam began to make their way up trees to get to the top of the building where a crowd of soldiers were attempting to climb down.

"Tyler, go with Kyle back to the base and grab the buckets. There's a stream not too far from here," Jason started. "Fill them and begin circling back. Head to the basement and start filling it up. Don't question it. I have an idea."

He looked at Jerome. "Jerome, go with them. I'm about to head in there and I don't want your fur to catch fire. Not to mention it will be way too hot in there for you." The trio nodded and raced off towards the house.

"Jason, you can't go in there by yourself," Mitch argued. "It's way too dangerous!"

"I need you three to head into the basement and start breaking all the water pipes. Right before you leave, keep the basement doors open. Ashley will produce the light. Mitch, I can't argue with you right now. Just go."

Mitch looked like he wanted to stay, but nodded anyway and ran off with the girls. Jason took a deep breath before running into the burning building.

::::TIME LAPSE::::

Jason coughed. He didn't know how long he had been in the base, but he managed to rescue a couple hundred people by getting them to the staircase that led to the roof where Adam and Ty were getting people down.

A soldier had told him that the only group that was left was the one trapped inside the conference room on the other side of the base.

Now he was sprinting through the burning building, trying to get to the soldiers, racing against the clock. He narrowly dodged a burning piece of debris that fell, blocking an exit.

'_Damn,'_ he thought, resuming his run. _'Can't go back that way.'_ He knew his face was streaked with ash. Jason felt sweat coming down his face. His skin must be bright red by now. He was getting really tired...

_'No.'_ He said to himself. _'I need to get to Conference Room Four. That's where the soldiers are. Several of them.'_ As long as that thought rang in his head, Jason flashed down the burning halls, dodging the fiery debris.

It took him a little while, but he finally reached the conference room, relieved to see that it was still intact. He tried to open the lock, but it was stuck.

"Hello?!" He yelled. "Is anyone in here?!"

"Yes!" A voice yelled back. "The door's jammed!"

"I'm going to get you out! Just hold on!"

Jason tried to slam open the door with his shoulder, but it wouldn't budge. He began to search around the area, looking for debris that wasn't burning. His eyes landed on a thick slab of charred wood across the hall.

_'That will definitely break off the lock.'_ He raced over to the slab of wood. He hefted it up, but just as he did, a creaking noise was heard. The Reaper looked at the door in terror as the burning ceiling crashed down in front of the door. The fire caught to the wall and burned down the door.

"NO!" Jason screamed as he heard the petrified cries of the soldiers inside.

"GO!" He heard a woman scream. "General Grey is still in his office! Run!"

Jason watched as the flames entered the room and pained screams erupted from inside. He swallowed thickly before running off down the flaming hall, tears welling up in his eyes. He blinked them away quickly; he couldn't afford to have his vision blur.

He shouldn't have come in here alone. Mitch was stronger than him. Ashley and Tiff could've done fine by themselves. He was so stupid. Those people wouldn't have lost their lives.

Jason focused on the task at hand. He needed to get to General Grey. It seemed like eternity when he finally reached the office.

"GENERAL! ARE YOU IN THERE?!"

"Jason? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! RUN!" The old man yelled back.

"General, I'm going to get you out of here no matter what!" Jason screamed, confidence laced in his voice. He was going to get James out, even if it cost him his life.

Jason lifted the wood and slammed it hard into the twice, effectively breaking it off. He hit his shoulder against the door, bursting it open. General Grey rushed out, ash splayed across his face. Jason nodded.

"Let's go." The duo ran through the halls, dodging the flames snapping towards them, adrenaline pumping through them.

"Wait, Jason! What about the soldiers in CR4?!" Grey yelled.

"They're fine. They got out," Jason lied, trying to keep the general moving. The old man eyed the Reaper but said nothing as they ran in the building.

_Crrrreeeeeaaaakkkk._

Jason looked up and saw the ceiling about to give way. Without a moment's hesitation, he pushed General Grey ahead of him and jumped backwards, nearly dying under the collapsed debris.

"JASON!" James yelled from the other side.

"General! Go! I'll be fine! Go!" Jason ordered, getting ready to run back the way he came.

General Grey stopped, but took a deep breath and began running in the direction the duo was headed.

Jason gulped and ran down the flaming corridors. _'Now where am I? I'm by Storage Six so...the armory!'_ With new found hope, Jason flashed down across the hall, heading straight for the armory.

When he reached the heavy metal doors, he began punching in the code on the keypad, praying to whoever was up there that it still worked. To his relief, the door began to slide open slowly. Jason slipped through and began looking around for anything to help him break through the floor.

He heard the roaring of fire behind him. He looked around and saw the flames seeping in. _'Shit.'_

::::OUTSIDE::::

General Grey burst out into the open and began searching for the rest of the team. Spotting Ty and Adam, he ran over, hoping see the soldiers safe.

Adam and Ty had built a wood bridge from the roof of the base to a tree where soldiers were climbing down. The duo was currently helping them down the branches, saving the last few.

Ty spot James first. He looked up from his spot on the ground to Adam, who was in the tree. "I'll be right back!"

Adam looked over and saw Grey. "Okay!"

Ty jogged over and stopped in front of the elder. "You okay, General?"

"Yes, but I don't think Jason will be."

"What do you mean?"

"He saved me, but as we were escaping, we were separated by flaming debris. I don't think Jason is going to get out alive."

Ty was silent for a moment. "He's still trapped in there?" James nodded. Ty bit his lip. Just then, Mitch, Ashley, and Tiff arrived, soaking wet.

"Ty, where's Jason?" was the first thing Mitch asked. Ty shook his head.

"He's still in there?!" Ashley exclaimed. James nodded.

"Well, where's Jerome, Tyler, and Kyle? They should be back with those buckets by now! They never returned!" Tiff said, worry slipping into her voice.

"Do you think they were attacked?" Ashley asked. "There's a lot of things in that forest."

"It's very possible," Mitch answered, sighing. "I _told_ him he shouldn't go by himself."

"Wait, wait. He said he had a plan. What plan?!" Tiff reminded.

"Let's pray to whoever that whatever is his plan is will work," Ty said, looking at the base. The building was starting to give way. "Or else we won't be finding Jason for a long time."

::::IN THE BASE::::

The base was quiet, except for the crackling of fire as it snapped and destroyed the once lively corridors. The ceiling began to cave in, ready to fall and collapse on whoever was underneath, burning and suffocating them. Not one person remained in the base somehow. Of course, there was one room where corpses lay scorched, but besides that tragedy, not one person remained. The entire building was evacuated.

The one last person that had been there escaped.

Jason dove into the hole he had created, taking a deep breath before jumped in. Cold water greeted him as he swam towards where light shone through. He wanted to laugh with joy. Mitch had listened. He left the basement doors open.

Jason swam as fast he could towards the exit, swimming up the stone steps. His head burst out of the water and he heaved himself out. But he still had to get far away and to where the others were. The safest way to do that was to run into the forest and travel through there, a safe distance away.

He streaked through the woods, adrenaline starting to wear off. Jason was starting to feel tired and pain was erupting in his legs. He forced himself to keep running. He had to let everyone know he was okay before they decided to run in.

He started to hear their voices, mostly Adam's as he instructed the soldiers on how far away they should stand. He smiled to himself, slowly his pace as he walked out of the forest and into the clearing. Ty saw him first. A relieved smile crossed his face, but it disappeared when he took in the Reaper's appearance.

His teammates and General Grey looked over, worried expressions on their faces. Jason took notice that Jerome, Tyler, and Kyle weren't back.

"Jason, your leg...it's burned!" Tiff exclaimed.

Jason gave her a grin. "Well maybe we should go home before I start to feel it, huh?" Despite the situation, the four began to laugh as Adam joined them.

"We should get you home, Jason. Tyler called me and said they were attacked in the forest. Jerome got hurt so they took him home. They were unable to get back here."

Jason nodded and smiled, but it vanished immediately when he turned to General Grey. "Um, General, I hate to say this, but I didn't save everyone."

General Grey nodded. "I had that feeling. I don't need to hear the details and I doubt you want to share them right now, correct?" Jason nodded. "Go home. I'll take care of everything else. Thank you, Jason. Thanks to all of you."

The team nodded before walking off. They were quiet before Mitch asked, "Jay, how did you get out?"

Jason grinned. "Remember when I told you to break the water pipes and leave the basement door open?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, I broke a hole through the floor and by the time I did that, the basement was filled to a suitable height for me to dive in and escape through the basement doors." The team gaped at the Reaper. He looked at them quizzically. "What?"

"You are the most brilliant genius I know," Adam praised, still in awe.

"Thank you, Adam," Jason beamed. "Now, Ty, carry me. My leg is really starting to hurt now."

"Really?" The werewolf asked. The Reaper gave him a 'Yes, really' look. Ty snickered and scooped Jason up bridal-style, making Ashley and Tiff squeal. The boys stared at them, unfazed by the fact that Ty was carrying Jason the way a husband would carry a wife, having done it tons of times to each other before.

"You look so cute!" Ashley exclaimed.

"Hashtag Truelox!" Tiff added.

The men sighed and continued walking down the path to their home, ready to put the day they had behind them.

**And that was my 9/11 chapter. For those who don't live in America or don't know what happen on September 11, 2001, four planes were hijacked. Two planes were crashed into the Twin Towers in New York, killing a couple thousand people. Another one crashed into the Pentagon, one of our nation's top secret bases, killing more people. The last one was supposed to be headed to the Capital building but the passengers rushed the hijackers and crashed the plane in a field in Pennsylvania, I believe it was. 9/11 was the largest terrorist attack the U.S. had experienced since the bombing of Pearl Harbor, beginning World War 2.**

**I pray for those who lost family or friends during that attack. I also pray for the ones who lost their lives. I am **_**so**_ **sorry for your loss.**

**Now this chapter's main character was Jason because a lot of you guys wanted to see more of him. So here he is!**

**I hope you guys enjoyed! If you did, please leave a pretty, little review. Until then, stay safe, take care, God bless, love you, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**


	11. In Your Blood

**Hello my Mortem Venators! So this is a quick chapter on...you probably didn't guess it...MITCH! C-Can I have a round of applause? No? Jerks. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. This is based off a quote that spoke out to me in a book. If you cannot handle mature scenes, I do not recommend the book to you. Also, this chapter contains usage of flashbangs. Now, despite my research, I couldn't find something that tells me how to set one off. So, now it's just, "Hey! I pulled the pin! What now?!" Despite that, please enjoy! R&amp;R!**

_"'I didn't know how...*deep* love ran, how it was in your blood, not your heart, and how that same blood pumped through your veins your whole life. I thought you'd be better off if you could forget her. I should have known that wasn't possible.'" ~ On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah_

"_**Tiff, move**_!" Adam's voice echoed throughout the desert.

Mitch snapped his head over to where Tiff was standing. The pink-haired female was holding off one Alaylith and another was bounding toward her. If she were to move, the Alaylith she was currently holding off would snap at her waist and bash her head into the ground until she went limp before eating her.

Alayliths were ugly and deadly. Standing at the height of ten feet, length of seven feet, and width of five feet, the largest Alaylith ever recorded was four times that size. The Alayliths had grey, wrinkled skin and black holes for eyes. It had spikes for teeth that were stained orange and black, blood on the end of each one. It had three rows of teeth, and if you were to peer inside the mouth, you could smell the rotting corpses of several species being dissolved in stomach acid. The Alayliths were round and had a small, pointed tail, but they were quick. Their only weakness was light, but it was nighttime in the desert.

Mitch flashed one of his LED lights on and threw it into one of the eye sockets. The Alaylith howled loudly and began to burn up from the inside. Mitch raced away from the demon before it exploded and towards the paralyzed female. An LED light was already lit in his hand. He grabbed Tiff from the waist and tugged her with him, throwing a light into the Alaylith she was fending off.

The two Alayliths crashed into each other and was caught in the light shining out of the demon's eye sockets. Both monsters exploded as Mitch pulled the female away.

The duo stopped and Mitch let go, preparing to leave again.

"You okay?" Mitch asked, pulling out another LED stick from his belt.

Tiff nodded slowly. "Yeah. Thanks." She wrinkled her nose. "God, those things smell bad."

Mitch laughed. "Yeah. They do. Be careful, Tiff."

She nodded and smiled, her face turning serious immediately after. "Take care, Mitch."

His face turned grim as he faced the other way. "There's so many more." He watched as Adam turned into a Demon Bird and took to the skies, launching his spear feathers at the horde of Alayliths.

Tiff nodded. "How do we get rid of these things? The LED sticks are taking too long."

Mitch's mouth thinned. "I have an idea, but I'll need to do it alone or else the Alayliths will get distracted."

"Mitch, that's crazy!" She argued, glancing over her shoulder at him.

He continued to look off at the forest not too far away. "Yeah. It is. But it's also effective."

Tiff looked over at the forest, spotting several Alayliths at the border. "Mitch, you're going to head towards _that_? It's suicide!"

Mitch smirked slightly. "Yeah. It is. But like I said, highly effective."

Before Tiff could argue anymore, he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a smoke grenade.

"Where the hell did you get that?!" Tiff exclaimed.

Mitch turned to her and stared her directly in her eyes. His normally warm mocha eyes were devoid of all emotion. Looking into those brown and serious orbs, Tiff knew something was going to go so wrong. Both of them did.

"I need you to go to Adam," he ordered calmly, handing her a flash grenade. "Adam is a dark demon." Mitch sighed, searching for the best way to explain it. "Do you know Pokémon?" Tiff nodded slowly. "Think about it like this: Adam is a dark demon, he only has dark attacks until someone teaches him light attacks. Therefore, he can't defeat the Alayliths alone. These things spawn over darkness. That's why Adam is only launching his feathers."

Tiff blinked and nodded. "Uh, right. Got it. What is it that you need me to do?"

"What I'm about to pull off is going to only grab _most_ of the Alayliths. The rest of them are most likely going to remain here and attempt to finish off the rest of you guys. I need you to climb on top of Adam and tell him to pull off a dark all the Alayliths gather underneath you, throw the flash grenade with the rest of your LED lights. That should finish them off."

"And if it isn't?" Tiff stressed.

Mitch chuckled. "Tyler, Kyle, and Ty seem to be having fun with their flamethrower." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder and pointed to the trio. Kyle was sitting on Ty's back, holding Tyler's legs to make sure the teen didn't fall off. Tyler was standing on the werewolf's back, holding a flamethrower in his hands. The two friends were laughing as Ty carried them around, exploding Alayliths in their wake.

Tiff smiled despite the terrifying situation that was about to occur. "Yeah. And Ashley seems to be having fun striking them down with her lightning." The duo laughed at the teenage girl backing up quickly, striking down each Alaylith with every lightning bolt.

Mitch's laugh echoed in Tiff's ears and she savored every beat of it. She stared at the handsome and stunning male next to her. This guy was one of her best friends...and she was about to lose him. Her eyes teared up as Mitch glanced at her. His smile vanished and was replaced with concern. He softened as he looked into her eyes.

"Tiff?"

"Don't do it," she pleaded, swallowing thickly. "I can't lose you. _We_ can't lose you. Mitch, it's suicide! Please don't do it!"

Mitch placed his hands on her shoulders, smoke grenade still in his hand. She felt the cold weapon on her shoulder. It wasn't comforting in the slightest. "Tiff, it's going to be okay. Everything will be fine."

She stared into his eyes and searched them for any fear she could use against him. She found none. "Everything won't be fine. Are you coming back?"

Mitch couldn't answer that. In truth, he didn't know. So, as an answer, Mitch closed his eyes and shook his head. "No. I most likely won't come back."

Before Tiff could argue, Mitch yelled to Ty to come over. Ty raced over to the duo and Kyle reached down a hand, Tyler sitting down.

"I need you to take Tiff to Adam. She knows what she has to do," Mitch said grimly. Tiff began to cry.

"No, no, no! Mitch, you can't do this! Mitch, you'll die!" She cried. Kyle hesitated before looking at Mitch. Mitch nodded.

Kyle hopped off Ty and wrapped his arms around Tiff's waist. She fought against him, but to no avail. Kyle was stronger than her. He dragged her over to Ty and handed her to Tyler, who hefted her onto his lap. She fought and screamed, but Tyler held her tight and hugged her, shushing her softly.

"Mitch, what's going on?" Kyle asked Mitch. "What are you going to do that you sent Tiff into hysterics?"

Mitch looked around, watching as the Alayliths around the desert began looking at them, ready to attack. "If we keep lighting these demons up one at a time, this battle will never end."

"So what are you trying to say, Mitch?" Kyle interrogated, waving Ty to go. The werewolf nodded and bounded off.

"I'm going to end it. You can't afford to keep fighting these things for the rest of your lives."

Kyle was about to answer when Mitch's words finally sunk in. "Why do you keep saying 'you' and 'your'? Why aren't you saying 'we' and 'our'?"

Mitch bit his lip. "Because I'm not coming back."

"Mitch, what are you doing?!"

Mitch looked down. "I'm going to stop them from reproducing. I can't stop the dark, but I'm going to take out as much as I can."

Kyle sighed. "I see." He looked up and stared Mitch in the eyes, resting a hand on the teen's shoulder. "Good luck, Mitch."

"It was a pleasure working with you, Kyle," Mitch responded, a slight smile on his face.

"Don't say that. On the off chance you do return, I want to know that you were confident and you tried to come back, that you didn't just give up." '_No...He really thinks he's going to die.'_

A chuckle escaped Mitch's lips. "You don't understand, Kyle. I gave up a _long_ time ago." He smiled. "You better get going. I want to know that you'll be safe at least."

Kyle wanted to say something else, but he didn't know what, so he just hugged Mitch and gave him a nod before sprinting off.

Mitch turned around and faced the Alayliths from the forest, walking to a forest edge that was clear of the wretched demons. He felt the smoke grenade in his hand, now warm from clenching it for so long. Mitch took a deep breath before finally setting it off.

Kyle had just reached Ty, Tyler, and Tiff when he heard a loud bang. He whipped around in alarm, only to see a plume of dark smoke in the air by the forest border. He watched as almost every single Alaylith charged towards it, hungry for more darkness. As soon as the demons reached the smoke, it was too late. The smoke had disappeared.

Something changed in the Alayliths though. They spotted something moving deep within the forest and they all charged towards it, disappearing from the desert and never returning.

The Alayliths that stayed behind, however, weren't giving up. There were at least a hundred of them. They were all underneath Adam, jumping high and trying to bite the demon bird.

"What the hell just happened?!" Tyler exclaimed, hopping off of Ty.

Tiff looked away in anger. "You all just killed Mitch." The werewolf and Tyler stared at her, but she and Kyle didn't explain. "Ty, I need you to bring me to Adam now."

Deciding now was not the best time to argue, Ty bounded off, racing fast across the desert. Tyler stayed behind and looked at Kyle, who was staring at the forest in worry.

"Kyle, what did he do?" Tyler questioned, fearing that he didn't want to know the answer.

Kyle took a deep breath before saying, "He committed suicide."

"Wha-?" Tyler cut himself off. Then he realized it. Mitch had killed himself to save them. The Alayliths would have kept spawning more and more for eternity unless he put an end to most of them now. There will be no stopping the Devil's demons, but he could slow them down a few hundred years.

"Oh…" Tyler sighed.

"I can't believe he…" Kyle stopped. "It shouldn't have been him," he growled, closing his eyes.

"How do we tell Jerome?" Tyler whimpered. "How do we tell anyone? How do we _live_ knowing what we did?!"

Kyle shook his head. "We just gotta remember that he died for the greater good. Just like with everyone else."

It was quiet for a moment before Tyler spoke again.

"He wasn't like 'everyone else'. He was Mitch. And now he's gone."

Tiff and Ty landed on top of Adam, startling him.

"_**What the hell?!"**_

"Adam, it's just Tiff and I," Ty assured, turning into a human again.

"_**God...Don't scare me like that…"**_

"Sorry," Tiff replied coldly. She didn't mean to, but that's how it came out.

There was a pause. "_**Tiff, are you okay?"**_

"Perfectly fine," she snarked back. She walked to Adam's shoulder. "I need you to launch an attack that will gather the Alayliths into a tighter group."

Adam didn't like the tone in her voice one bit, but he didn't comment. "_**You mean a shadow attack?"**_

"_I need you to climb on top of Adam and tell him to pull off a dark attack."_ Tiff softened as she remembered Mitch's words. "Yeah," she replied quietly. "That."

Adam thought for a moment, still hovering over the desert. '_She's acting really weird. Did I miss something?' _"_**Whatever you say…"**_

Adam flew higher and opened his beak. Dark energy began to gather and before long, he launched it at the ground directly underneath him. The Alayliths swarmed in a tight bunch, trying to absorb every drop of shadow they could. Jerome, Ashley, Tyler, Jason and Kyle grouped together on the ground, watching as Tiff pulled out the flashbang.

She held it for a moment. Mitch had given this to her. It was an odd souvenir, but, God, she didn't want to let it go.

But she had to.

"_**Tiff?"**_ Adam asked.

She took a deep breath before walking to the very edge of Adam' shoulder. She glanced down at the wretched demons that she despised below her, fighting over the small shadow left.

Tiff growled loudly, catching Adam and Ty's attention. '_DIE!'_ She screamed in her mind. Pulling the pin, the flashbang fell from her hand.

The light weapon fell and landed in the middle of the group. The Alayliths didn't even have time to scramble out of the way as the flashbang activated, blinding the team on the ground and destroying the Alayliths. The demons exploded, many of them blowing up at different times depending on their distance from the flashbang.

Having not seen what Tiff had dropped quickly enough, the five blinded members on the ground stumbled backwards to avoid the blasts of monster blood and intestines spraying everywhere by listening.

Adam quickly landed and waited for Tiff and Ty to jump off before turning into a human and tended to the others.

"Are you guys okay?"

"No!" Jason snapped. "I can't effing see!"

Adam chuckled nervously. "Jay, it's just a flashbang."

"Yeah, no shit, Adam! Warn us next time! I'd rather not stumble around like a freaking idiot!"

"Sorry…" Adam knew Jason was aggravated. He was back to a human, but he was a Reaper a few moments ago, and even though Jerome had been with him, being a Reaper drained Jason's energy, especially when he had to kill demons with that heavy scythe of his.

Once everyone's vision was cleared, Jerome asked, "Where's Mitch?"

Adam glanced around. Jerome was right. There was no sign of the teen anywhere. It was like he had just...vanished. "I don't...know…" Adam looked around. No sign of Mitch.

"Did anyone else see that large plume of smoke a little while ago?" Jason questioned. Adam, Jerome, and Jason turned to Ashley, who held up her hands in defense. Tiff, Ty, Kyle, and Tyler stood quietly.

"Hey! It was not me!" Ashley defended.

"You totally blew up Mitch, didn't you?" Adam joked though it was really the time to.

"No!" Ashley exclaimed. She then whispered to herself. "Maybe…" Adam snickered.

"Guys...?" Kyle started. Everyone looked at him. "Mitch told Tiff and I himself…" He trailed off.

"What'd he say?" Jerome questioned, fearing the worst.

"There's a very high chance that Mitch is...dead."

The four members stumbled back in shock and denial.

"N-No…" Jerome whispered. "That-That's not true…"

Tiff looked down. "Yeah. I tried to tell him no, but he told Kyle to come over and take me away to safety. Kyle didn't know until he started questioning him. By then, I was already gone."

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose. He was shaking as though an earthquake was occurring in his own body. He was supposed to protect his team! He was the leader! There was an obvious smoke plume earlier. How did he not notice?! The Alayliths clearly left! Adam felt tears start to form in his eyes. He didn't even bother to blink them away. He let them flow. Mitch was gone. No…

Fear and guilt flooded through them. Mitch was gone? He died to the Alayliths? If that was true, where was his body? Did an Alaylith eat him? If it did, was his body parts scattered around the desert, too, mixed in with the blood and gore? The four friends shuddered in disgust and terror at the thought.

Adam's tears were staining the sand below him. He felt Ty pull him and Jason into a hug. Adam fell into the embrace and cried silently but harshly. No way Mitch was gone! God, he was so tired...

"HAVE YOU EVEN LOOKED FOR HIM?! HIS BODY?! ANYTHING?!" Jerome shouted suddenly, attacking Kyle and knocking the teen to the ground. Ashley moved to take him off, but Jerome unsheathed his claws. Adam, despite his crying, tackled the feral Bacca off and held him down on the ground as Tyler helped Kyle up.

Adam's ragged appearance made him look even more pissed off than he really was, and his tone of voice was even worse. "Enough!" He growled angrily. "We're not getting anywhere if we're turning on each other. Split up! We're going to find Mitch, dead or alive! Regroup here in twenty!" Adam ordered. The team members nodded and ran off, leaving Jerome and Adam.

Adam got off of Jerome and stood, offering a hand. Jerome scoffed at the motion and stood on his own. The vampire raised in hands in a surrendering motion before cleaning his eyes free of tears and watching as Jerome paced back and forth.

Jerome knew Adam was full of mixed emotions, he was, too, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Mitch? Gone? Dead? Those words didn't belong in a sentence together. It sounded wrong...Impossible. Mitch. Death defying. Now that would be a sentence Jerome would believe. But Mitch dead? It seemed ridiculous. Jerome knew Mitch for years...it couldn't be true! It was stupid that anyone would say that!

"Jerome." The word was said calm but stern. Adam was mad, but he understood the pain. He didn't think Jaq would die, it seemed impossible to him, but it happened. He understood Jerome. It was a horrible thing to lose someone you loved. Mitch was Jerome's brother. Knowing each other for years and to lose each other so easily was like a knife to the heart. It was so painful. It couldn't be explained.

"I'm sorry," Jerome finally apologized. He was reaching that stage of depression and guilt. The stage where there was no black and white, just grey. The world was monotone. The Bacca didn't want to hear anything. He didn't want to confront the fact that Mitch was gone. Mitch was gone...It still didn't sound right.

Adam bowed his head and toed the sand underneath him. "It's hard being the leader of a team, ya know?"

'_No...Adam, don't do this to me. Please don't make me talk. You do this and it always works. Why does it always work? This is the last thing I want to talk about!'_ Jerome silently pleaded. "Adam, no...please…" He whispered desperately.

It hurt Adam to hear Jerome like that, but it needed to be said. Jerome needed to calm down before they too went to look for Mitch. "I always feared this. Nothing lives forever, and as much as I try to ignore it, I can never forget it. I look upon the team that General James Grey has created and I can't think of a more reliable and amazing group. But there's that irritating thought still there.

"Every morning, I lay in bed for a while and think what life would be like without you guys. Then that thought comes back: 'There's no use thinking about that, Adam. One day, it'll be a reality.' Do you know how much that scares me? To lose the people I love dearly? To just watch them go one by one? It's terrifying as a thought, but to happen for real? It's traumatizing. Then I have to think that they must be in a better place. We've done so much good in our lives, it must make up for the bad! If Mitch really is gone, we have to remember that he died thinking he was doing something right and where he is now is a lot better than being trapped here with demons."

Jerome, albeit angry with Adam for pulling this tactic, visibly relaxed. Adam smiled. That tactic always worked.

Jerome hated yet loved Adam's plan. He always managed to calm people down by sharing his experiences by remembering that grey is just a combination of white and black. Although grey just seems lonely, white is still there. Even if everything seemed bad, something good was always there, no matter how dark the situation.

Jerome took a deep breath and looked at Adam, smiling back. Adam hugged the Bacca and Jerome hugged back. They held the embrace for a moment before releasing each other. They stood and enjoyed the other's company as they waited the few remaining minutes when the rest of the team would return.

Ty and Jason returned first, the rest of the team not too far behind. Adam watched as each member appeared, all very unhappy. Ty sighed and shook his head. Adam took a deep breath and nodded.

Ty walked up next to Adam and whispered in his ear. "There was nothing. We searched almost everywhere. Not a thing."

Adam whispered back. "So is it safe to assume he was eaten?" The thought was crazy, but it needed to be said.

Ty winced. "I wouldn't say that, Adam. We could've missed him."

"Ty, what are the chances of you missing Mitch and a horde of demons?"

"I dunno, Adam. I just don't want to believe that he…" Ty pinched the bridge of his nose. "Adam…"

Adam looked away. He was about to say something in return when a loud bang went off in the forest. What was left of the team spun in the north direction and watched as a bright light filled a part of the forest. There wasn't a moment's hesitation as the team raced off towards the forest.

* * *

Mitch hopped from tree to tree as fast as he could, gasping for air. He would be so much faster on foot, but he didn't want to risk one of the Alayliths grabbing him or him tripping over a tree root. He was already exhausted.

He could hear the growling and yowling behind him. The adrenaline was going away, but his heart was pumping fast.

...He was terrified…

He was going to die.

Mitch swallowed harshly and continued panting as he looked straight ahead. Darkness was everywhere under the shadows of the trees and night sky. He jumped to another branch to his left. He continued the pattern of branch switching. Straight, right, straight, straight, left, right again…

He was several yards away from the Alayliths, but he was nowhere near safe. The Alayliths were fat, but they were quick as hell. Mitch was fast, too, but unlike the Alayliths, he didn't have eternal energy from the darkness. He was getting tired quickly. His legs were starting to ache from the strain of pushing off branches. He felt his eyes tear up from the burning of his sneakers grinding against his socks and feet. The backs of his knees were sore from his legs bending down as he landed on each branch. It was even worse when he was trying to move faster than the quick demons behind him.

Mitch heard a loud shriek of an Alaylith very close behind him. As he was used to the small yowling, the shriek pierced his ears and it sounded like the Alaylith was right behind him. Startled, he hopped to another branch...a dangerous branch.

His foot got caught between two thick branches protruding out of the original one, pain shooting up his ankle. The force of the push and his weight caused the already weak branch to snap, and he fell ten feet in the air. He landed hard on his back, his head hitting a root that was sticking up. For a moment, his whole world went dark, but when he regained his vision, the first thing he saw was a large Alaylith in the air, the front claws slamming onto his chest. The rest of the Alaylith was off of Mitch, thank God, but it didn't stop the pain of the front claws crashing onto his chest.

Mitch heard something snap, and pain shot through his abdomen. His world went dark again, but he regained his vision once more a second later.

But that second had been precious time wasted.

He could've fended off the Alaylith by using his strength to hold back the open jaw about to grab him.

But he didn't.

The Alaylith picked Mitch up in its teeth by the teen's abdomen and began to shake him around. After all this bad luck, Mitch knew this must be the end. He had a plan, but it failed. He was supposed to get to a clearing and destroy these things. He only had two flashbangs, and he gave one to Tiff. Now he only had one for himself, and he couldn't have used it back at the desert since it was so open and the Alayliths were spread out.

But the forest...The forest was very narrow and very dark at night. There was no doubt in Mitch's mind that the demons would follow him. And they did.

Now he was going to die.

Time seemed to go by slow as the Alaylith held him in his jaw, shaking him like a ragdoll. Mitch would die any second. It was inevitable.

But Mitch's luck turned around.

As the Alaylith shook him around, the flashbang fell out of his jacket. The pin caught on one of the Alaylith's teeth, yanking it out of the flash grenade. The sound of the flashbang and the pin hitting the ground echoed pleasantly in Mitch's ears, and he braced himself for the explosion.

Sure enough, light filled Mitch's eyes and he was dropped from the Alaylith's jaws, landing hard on his back once more. His hearing and vision left him, but he could feel the vibrations through the ground as the horde of Alayliths blew up.

When his vision and hearing returned, he looked around to see that no Alaylith had escaped as there would be evidence. He felt joy spread through him, but that happiness was short lived.

He felt numb for a moment before pain settled in quickly. He groaned in agony as he felt the broken ribs, a sprained ankle, and the bites from three rows of teeth on each side. When he slowly lifted his hand to his head, he felt a warm sticky substance beginning to clot on his scalp.

'_Well shit,'_ he thought. He moved his arm back down to his side.

He could barely see the stars above him, the branches of the trees looming over him like Alaylith claws ready to grab him. It was stupid to be scared of branches like that, but he was still shaken up from the fact that he almost died a painful death...well, more painful than the one he was suffering from now.

The demons he once thought of as low class now terrified him. Having the firsthand experience of almost being eaten by one of those monsters had traumatized him, and that wasn't a good thing in his line of work.

He tried hard to block out the pain by thinking. The more he tried to do that, the more he realized he really screwed up.

'_I didn't even get to tell everyone I'm sorry. I didn't say goodbye. Jerome...You didn't deserve this. I'm sorry. Adam, I never told you how much I appreciated and respected you as a friend and a leader. Ashley, you were an amazing friend, despite your insecurities a beautiful girl like you should never have. Jason, sure you can be a smartass and a little bit too serious sometimes, but I never knew someone as understanding and patient and awesome as you. Kyle, I know things are hard and that the world doesn't understand your clothing style, trying to second guess your sexuality, but the team understands and loves you for who you are. Tyler, I never really understood you. You're a mystery to all of us, but what I do know is that despite your hardest days, you never once hesitated to help, and that's what I admire about you. Just keep being you. Ty, you were the first one to turn supernatural. I remember that day as clear as my own origin story, but never once did I think you were a monster. Despite the teasing and hate, you stood strong, and you don't have to be ashamed of what you are. Don't be ashamed to ask for help because I was, and look where I am now.'_ He took a shuddering breath, wincing at the pain of it.

'_And Tiff, I'm sorry I left like that. It wasn't fair to you. You didn't deserve what I did. This may very well be my last night alive, and the last time I saw you was with your tears streaming down your face, being forced to leave. I apologize. It's fair to you. It's not fair to anyone. I screwed up, Tiff. I know I did. Don't make the same mistake I did. Don't be afraid to ask for help. We all need it, especially in the darkest of times. Tiff, you and Ashley are beautiful females who don't deserve the life you're living now. You deserve so much better. I'm sorry you and the rest of the team have to live this way. I'm sorry…'_

He lay there for a while, thinking, just resting as the blood poured out from his deep wounds. It was weird, but as every blood cell dripped onto the green grass, it felt as though he was _losing_ something. Oh, right. His blood and his life. But it was more than that. As his eyes began to get heavier, he realized he was starting to care less.

Images of the team, his _friends_, flashed through his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to smile anymore. It was like all the goodness in his heart was washed out with every heartbeat, pumping out the blood cells that had been pumping through his blood for years.

The blood that had circulated through him since he was born, duplicating and dying within, was leaving him, and it felt like all the lessons and the love he had gathered over the years was slowly going away. Maybe it was just death talking, but that's what it felt like.

Mitch watched as unconsciousness slowly tugged at the corners of his eyes. He wanted to sleep, what was he waiting for? But he could just barely see the moon, and he wanted to stare at it as long as he could before he passed on because he'll never see it again.

'_I bet if Jason were here, he'd say something about moonlight being reflected sunlight or that stars are exploding balls of gas or something. Adam and Ty would just look at him and shake their heads, make some kind of joke. The girls would fawn over the three of them being a 'ship' or whatever. Kyle and Tyler would just poke Jerome and I and say some stupid comment that would make the two of us laugh. Then, after that, we would all smile at each other before looking back up at the night sky again. I wonder if they'll still do that without me. It'd be awesome if they did. How would it be knowing someone is absent from the group? I hope they don't change.'_

Mitch smiled at the thought of his friends. He sighed. He was going to miss their voices, their smiles, their laughs. It was already hard for Mitch to pass on and thinking about Team Unknown was making it even harder.

Mitch closed his eyes. Maybe if he focused on his friends, he could make the memories into some sort of a pleasant dream, and he can pass on in a painless, blissful slumber…

* * *

Team Unknown raced through the forest, some in the trees, some on the ground. They all had one goal in mind.

_Find Mitch now._

As the team sprinted among the trees and darkness, they began to worry about how they would find him when they got there. Would he be dead? Would he be alive? If he was alive, how would they find him? Would they meet him halfway? Would he be walking towards them with a smile on his face and an apology at the tip of his tongue?

How would they find him?

Jerome took a deep breath as he pushed off another tree. Adam looked over to him from behind and was about to ask him what was wrong when Jerome stopped. The team stopped as well.

Jerome's nose twitched continuously as he sniffed the air. "Ty, can you smell that?"

The werewolf stuck his nose in the air and began to sniff. He nodded before smelling the ground, slowly moving up the trunk of the tree in front of Jerome. "_**Yeah. I smell blood and Mitch's scent is definitely here. I know for fact he passed by."**_

"Wait...blood?" Ashley asked, alarmed.

Ty nodded. "_**Yeah, and a lot of it, but I do hear a slow and faint heartbeat."**_

Adam climbed to the top of the tree he was on and began to look over the forest. "I hear a heartbeat, too, but where is he?" Adam muttered to himself.

The branches were too packed together. It was like a blanket of wood covering the ground below. Even with Adam's enhanced sight, it was hard to see between small openings.

"Adam! Do you see him?" Kyle called up.

"No!" Adam answered. "The trees are too close together!" He climbed back down onto the branch he was on before and sighed. "We gotta move quickly." The team nodded and raced off once more. There was no way they were going to let Mitch die, not when they were so close. To Hell with that.

::::TIME LAPSE::::

"_**Guys, his scent turns this way,"**_ Ty said, leading the team to the left. The teammates that were in the trees came down and began to run beside their friends on the ground.

"How far, Ty?" Adam asked.

Ty put his nose in the air once more before saying, "_**A few hundred yards at least."**_

"Then let's move."

The team began to sprint faster through the forest, trying to keep up with the werewolf leading them.

As they ran, the sun began to rise, and light started to shine into the forest. Jerome swallowed thickly.

'_What if the heartbeat stopped now? Mitch would have never seen the sunlight again. He would've died alone, in the dark...Oh God, Mitch! Please be alive!'_

Suddenly, Ty came to a halt, almost causing the people behind him to crash into him.

"Ty, what the hell?" Tyler asked.

Ty's voice was steady and calm, but there was a slightly panicked edge to it. "_**We're here…"**_

The team peered around the werewolf and their breaths left them completely.

Mitch was there, lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood. His left ankle looked swollen and the team figured he sprained it. What concerned them the most was how much his torso was bleeding. Several holes were pierced into his clothing, and when Ashley took off the jacket and shirt, there were clearly infected bite marks across his abdomen.

Gathering her courage, Ashley stated clearly and calmly, "If we want him alive, we have to get moving now."

Adam nodded and moved next to her. "Right."

"I'm going to have to use the jacket to stop the bleeding. Adam, help me rip it up."

Once the jacket shreds were pinned together by sharp sticks Ashley had Jerome chew to points, the Techno had Adam carry Mitch to Ty, holding him steady on the werewolf's back.

"_**All of you, hop on. I'll get us to the general faster than all of us on foot."**_

Once everyone was situated on the werewolf's back, Ty shot off, determined to get Mitch to General Grey's temporary base alive. They were so close. They weren't going to lose him now.

::::TWENTY-EIGHT HOURS LATER::::

Kyle and Tyler walked into the temporary base's medical wing waiting room, bags of fast food and drinks in their hands.

"Any word on Mitch?" Kyle asked, placing the bags on the small glass coffee table in the middle of the white room. He began to sort out the food with Tyler, handing everyone their meals besides Jason.

"Nothing," Adam sighed, taking the cheeseburger Tyler handed him.

"What about Jason?" Tyler questioned, nodding towards the teen that was spread out across Ty and Adam on the couch.

"Still tired," Ty answered.

"No shit. He's been sleeping for over a day."

"I know…" Ty replied. "He's never slept for this long."

"Besides the time after the Snarks when Mitch gave him that heavy sleeping pill on purpose," Jerome snickered.

Tiff looked at him in shock. "Wow. That was the most light hearted thing you've said in a day."

Jerome raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's the first thing I've heard you say since we got here."

"Alright, you two," Ashley interrupted. "Let's just enjoy the food Tyler and Kyle brought us."

Jerome leaned over and picked up the receipt laying on the table. "Speaking of which, how much was this?" When Jerome looked at the price, his eyes widened. "Holy hell! Who paid for this?!"

"Adam," Tyler joked, biting into his own chicken sandwich. Jerome started laughing.

"What?!" Adam exclaimed. "How much was it?!"

"One hundred and seven and seventy-two cents," Jerome answered, grinning.

"Are you kidding me?! How much did you guys buy?!"

"We bought the eight of us and General Grey breakfast, lunch, and dinner for today and tomorrow. How much did you expect it to be?" Kyle questioned.

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose. "My God…"

"Relax, Adam," Tyler laughed. "We were joking. It came out of my pocket."

"Yours alone?" Ashley asked.

"Well, yeah. Duh."

"What the heck, Tyler?! I told you to split it between the both of us!" Kyle said.

"Why? That's stupid."

"We could just split the money now and pay back Tyler," Ty suggested.

"We could," Adam started. "But we don't have our phones, a calculator, or paper to split it right now and Jason's sleeping."

"True."

Tyler was about to respond when General Grey walked into the room.

"Morning," the old general greeted.

"Hey, James," the team replied.

Tyler handed the old man his breakfast, getting a thanks in return.

"Hey, general?" Tiff asked. James looked over at her. "Do you have your phone?"

James nodded. "Of course. Why?"

"Can we use the calculator?"

James nodded and tossed her his phone. She caught it and began to split the bill.

"Any word on Mitch?" Ty asked, running his fingers through Jason's hair as he ate his hamburger with the other hand.

"They said he should be waking soon. Within the next few hours," Grey answered. "But he will be slightly confused, you understand? So don't attack him with questions immediately."

The team nodded in response.

Grey sighed. "From what you all have told me, as much as I hate to say it, I have to tell you that Mitch will be very confused."

"What do you mean?" Kyle asked worriedly.

"Remember, he was supposed to _die_. He had accepted that the moment he ran into the forest, and even more so when he fell unconscious. He thinks he should be dead, not alive. Try to go easy on him."

The team didn't say a word after that for a while. Mitch really had accepted the fact when he took the responsibility of destroying the Alayliths.

Now that Ty thought about it, he realized something. "Mitch had accepted death before we even reached the battlefield."

Adam looked at him. "What?"

"You guys really don't see it? When Ashley took off his jacket, there was nothing inside it, but there used to be two flashbangs. Do you really think that was a coincidence? He purposely had one for whoever was with him before he ran off into the forest, and one for when he left to die." Ty let that all sink in before dealing the next cold blow. "Mitch is also the one who put together the plan of who would be where when he was explaining the Alayliths to us. I don't know why he chose Tiff to be with, I don't know if it was intentional, but he did have her. Somehow, he knew she would get to Adam like he told her and kill the Alayliths."

"He...planned this…?" Tiff asked, stunned at the sheer brilliance yet angry at the stupidity of it,

"I'm not sure whether to congratulate him for being so brilliant on a Jason level or to scream at him for playing us on an Adam level…" Tyler said slowly.

Adam was too shocked to even take notice on the fact that he was used to describe a high leveled deceiver. "I can't even…"

A nurse walked into the waiting room. "General Grey, sir? Patient 1301B is awake."

General Grey nodded. "Thank you. We'll be there in a moment. How is he?"

The team began to listen as the nurse answered. "He's stable, but he is unable to comprehend his surroundings. We think that having him with people he knows will help him register what is going on. He sustained large bruising on his middle and lower back. The bite marks were thoroughly cleaned and are now on their way to healing. He has a minor concussion, but he should be fine with plenty of rest. He sustained two broken ribs as well, but, like the concussion, the best medicine is rest." She walked away with James' nod.

"Well, go and see him. Room 1301B," James ordered.

Adam and Ty regretfully shook Jason awake before leading the groggy teen to the room with their friends.

::::ROOM 1301B::::

Mitch heard that annoying beeping sound from the heart monitor beside him. How the hell did he get here? He was supposed to be dead. How-?

"Mitch?"

He didn't even move his head. He just closed his eyes and tried to avoid eye contact with Jerome. He didn't want to face his team members. It hurt too much to realize how quickly he had let them go.

"Mitch, look at me."

He didn't want to look at his best friend. Nope. No. He didn't want to.

"Mitch...please?"

Aw, hell. Mitch slowly opened his eyes again and tried to sit up, but pain shot through his back and chest. A furry paw pushed him gently back down.

He saw the team slowly move around the bed so he could see them all. They weren't trying to guilt trip him, but that was exactly what they were doing right now. He glanced at Jason, who was pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to wake up. He raised an eyebrow.

"He was tired," Adam explained sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. Mitch nodded.

There was silence in the room as everyone tried to figure out a way to address the elephant in the room.

Mitch removed the oxygen mask, even though Jerome tried to fight with him to get it back on. "You guys want to know why I did what I did," he stated bluntly after a few minutes, trying to rub away the pounding headache.

"Yeah…" Tiff whispered.

"Did you guys figure out that I had it planned beforehand?"

The team nodded while Jason stood there, confused. Adam explained it with just "He had only two flashbangs" and Jason immediately understood.

"Why did you plan it out so soon?" Kyle asked. "Did you think we couldn't handle them?"

Mitch sighed. "I always have a backup plan, suicide or not. This was one of them. After Griffin and the battle with the Snarks, I started to plan ahead more, making strategies that are more efficient if a battle is raging on too long or is seemingly endless."

"What do you mean?" Adam questioned. "We were fine!"

"How long did Jason sleep for, guys?" Mitch asked quietly. Jason pursed his lips.

"...Twenty-eight hours," Tyler reluctantly answered.

"How long do you think he would've slept if we had to keep battling the rest of the night and maybe even countless nights after that? How tired and drained do you think he would be?"

"I probably wouldn't be able to stay awake," Jason sighed quietly.

"No, you wouldn't." Mitch sighed. "Jason, I don't want to pry into you or put you on the spot like this but...what else would happen? What would happen if you fight endlessly like that?"

Jason stared at Mitch in shock before remembering that Mitch was expert with supernaturals. He took a deep breath. "Adam, you remember after the Snarks when you found that heavily scarred area on my side?"

"Yeah…" Adam said slowly. "Why?"

"That's caused from me battling. The more things I kill, the heavier and larger the scarring. The pain makes me fall asleep, but sleeping also helps heal it. Those twenty-eight hours I was sleeping healed my scarring a lot, but it's not gone."

"_What?!_"

"If Jason fights forever at night, and only sleeps in the morning before having to fight again, the scarring will soon grow larger and heavier before causing permanent damage to his body. Then...he dies," Mitch finished.

The team just stood quietly. All of it was so much to process.

Ty took a deep breath. "So what you're saying is that you made backup plans for every battle, willing to sacrifice yourself, because you know that sooner or later, we all will push our limits and fall?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

It was hard. It hurt knowing that Mitch will sacrifice himself because he knows that no matter how hard they try, they will soon succumb to their inescapable weakness. That really sucked knowing they would be the ones to kill Mitch.

"When I was dying, I started thinking about you guys and how it would be when I was gone," Mitch started. The team looked up in curiosity. "I thought about you guys for a while and for a moment, it kept me wanting to stay alive. Then, it all of a sudden got worse. I don't know why, and I really, _really_ hate saying this, but...the images of this team helped me try to pass on."

Jerome stared at him. "Are you saying that we caused you to want to die?"

Mitch looked at him in shock. "_What?! No!_ What the hell?! That was the last thing I was implying!"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, the rest of the team couldn't help but chuckle at the small banter. It shouldn't have happened, but it did, and for some reason, it made Mitch smile.

"You guys are..._something else_," Mitch sighed.

Adam hid a smile. "I'm sorry but that sounded like that was what you were implying."

"No! If you guys made me feel that way then why would I stay with you?"

Jason raised his eyebrows. "He's got a point."

"He's got Jason," Ty whispered to Adam.

"I know. The little backstabber," Adam muttered back.

"I heard you two," Jason growled.

"Ty, abort mission! Abort mission!"

"Adam! Get off me!"

Mitch began to chuckle even though it hurt him, but he was willing to endure the pain for them, even if it lasted for a while.

::::THREE WEEKS LATER::::

"I WANNA GO!"

"NO, MITCH! GET BACK IN BED!"

"JEROME, LET ME GO!"

"MITCH, NO! STOP IT!"

"I AM NOT YOUR DOG! MUEVETE!"

Adam sighed from his seat in the Lounge. "Here they go again…"

"When did Mitch learn Spanish…?" Tiff asked in awe.

"What did he say?" Kyle asked.

"Move."

"Oh."

"This is like the seventh time in two weeks!" Tyler complained.

"You can't say you didn't expect Mitch to get tired of being in bed," Jason sighed from his spot on the loveseat.

"About that…"

"Wow, Tyler. I shouldn't even be surprised."

"I bet twenty bucks Jerome is going to kill Mitch by the end of next week," Adam joked from the couch.

"I'll give it to the middle of the next week," Ty said by the fireplace.

"I'd say by the end of this week," Jason replied.

"MITCH, I'M GOING TO MURDER. YOUR. FACE!"

The Reaper, werewolf, and Demon Bird looked at each other. At the same time, they asked, "Can I change my bet to the end of today?"

**OKAY EVERYONE! That was the end of this chapter, but the beginning of Updating Week! Yep! It's back again! If you're new here or you forgot what it was, Updating Week is where I upload a chapter every day for a random story, leading up to the day where I first began writing which will be three full years. That's right! Three full years of writing on here! Man, time flies by fast. **

**I hope you all enjoyed! If you did, please leave a review. Until then, stay safe, take care, love you, God bless, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**


	12. Taken For Granted

Taken For Granted

Mitch threw himself onto the Lounge couch. Exhausted and drained, he groaned as Adam walked into the room.

The vampire turned to him and raised his eyebrow. "Yeah. Nice to see you, too, Mitch," Adam chuckled.

"God, I'm so tired."

Adam furrowed his eyebrows in concern. He sat himself down on the couch as well, cuddling closer to Mitch.

Mitch looked down at the supernatural in alarm. "Adam, what the hell are you doing?" He asked quickly.

"I'm cuddling with you."

"Adam, that's weird. No."

"It's okay. We can do this. Jerome isn't here."

"And just what the hell are you implying by that?!"

Adam put a finger to Mitch's lips and shushed him. "Talk to me, buddy. What happened on the mission?"

Mitch hesitated before removing Adam's finger and awkwardly placed his hand on the vampire's shoulder. "Um, well, I was in Belladonna Kingdom."

"Mm-hmm. Yes. Interesting."

Mitch rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yeah. Right."

Adam shot up and quickly said, "Wait! No! Mitch, I'm sorry! What happened?"

Mitch pinched the bridge of his nose. It was okay. He could trust Adam. If he couldn't trust Adam, then there was no hope for him the world. He took a deep breath. "I was assigned to be the lead escort for King Thome and get him to Wane Kingdom...through Hell's Forest."

Adam's eyes widened in shock. "_What?!_ There's no way in _hell_ James would make you go through that damn forest on a mission, an _escort_ mission especially!"

"No!" Mitch replied quickly. "It wasn't him. It was the king who made us go."

"The king?!" Adam growled. "He has no say! You were the lead escort!"

"Adam, you know that's not how it works. I was in his territory. He's the king. I'm nothing compared to him. I am basically a slave to him."

"That's not fair," Adam snarled. "You didn't deserve to go in that fucking forest." The story hadn't even reached the middle, yet Adam knew how it was going to end.

Hell's Forest was named based on the fact that the forest was basically hell on earth. Demons, monsters, and hellish creatures lurked in the shadows. It was on the brink of impossible to exit that forest alive. It was almost impossible to last five minutes with all the supernaturals trying to eat people's flesh and drink blood!

"May I finish?" Mitch asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Never said you could stop, but okay."

Mitch smiled oh-so-slightly. He would've laughed, but he was in too much shock to even attempt it. "Of course, I wasn't the only one on the mission. The king's soldiers were there, too." Mitch took a shuddering breath as he remembered his temporary team members...very temporary.

"Adam, the soldiers...are orphans."

Adam's eyes narrowed. "_Excuse me?_" He wasn't mad at Mitch, no, he was _pissed_ at the king.

"You were..._alone_ in Belladonna when you were younger, right?"

Adam wanted to smile in appreciation at Mitch for not saying "abandoned", but he was too angry to do so. The vampire nodded stiffly.

"Well, you were...I can't even say it without sounding rude."

"Just say it." Adam sighed. He was here for Mitch, not the other way around. Mitch shouldn't be worried about offending him. "I won't be offended."

"You were...'lucky', I guess..." Mitch replied quietly.

Adam's eye began to twitch. Everyone on the team knew what it was like to be abandoned, and none of them would say they were lucky for it unless they were dealing with something worse than lack of companionship or constant abuse.

"What do you mean?"

"If an orphan was ever found by King Thome's men, they would be forced to join the knights. They didn't have a choice, and they had to stay there until they died."

"So you were traveling with a terrible king and tortured orphans?" Adam questioned in disbelief.

"...Yeah. I was. That's not all though. We were forced to go through Hell's Forest, even though I argued against it, saying that that was not what General Grey wanted. Therefore, because I wasn't responding to orders, he used...other methods to get me to cooperate." Mitch used his free hand to hold his abdomen.

Adam looked down at Mitch's torso, which looked stiff. "Mitch, what did he do?"

"He used a whip against me until I caved in."

Adam sat up in fury. "He _what?!_ Mitch, you just got off bed rest a week ago after the Alayliths and he _whips_ you?! That's insane! What did General Grey do?!"

Mitch sighed. "Well, the general is refusing to send us to help King Thome unless he sets the orphans free, stops enslaving children, and resorts to non-violent actions to get others to cooperate with him. But I don't care about me or King Thome, I just want to finish this story."

Adam frowned, but he let Mitch go on.

Mitch took a deep breath. "So, my coworkers were orphans, forced into slavery. They were kids, Adam! The oldest one was maybe fifteen! I'm nineteen, just a few years older than them! I watched them, and I argued with King Thome. I didn't want to bring those children into Hell's Forest. I knew they would die. I wanted to avoid all that, but King Thome wouldn't budge. Having no other way of changing Thome's mind, I allowed him to get into his carriage.

"I was the one in front, the one who was supposed to keep track of the route we were going on, and I nominated myself to be the main fighter as well. I didn't want younger children to have to fight. I guess I should've thought differently when I was already injured."

Adam cuddled closer to Mitch, careful not to hurt him. "Go on."

Mitch closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I was supposed to have memorized Hell's Forest, but because it's been so long since I've gone, I barely remembered the safest route. I was leading them the only way I remembered, starting safe, slowly becoming dangerous, but then becoming safe again. Adam, you've never been in that forest, I don't think, right?"

Adam shook his head. "No, but it's close enough to Belladonna that I could hear the creatures in there."

Mitch began to massage away the forming headache. "Okay, well, you do know that even a minute in that forest, and you will be torn to pieces?"

"Yeah. I do know that."

"We were there for two hours."

"Oh, no."

"Yeah. As soon as we hit the danger route, Apateónes attacked us."

"What are Apateónes?" Adam asked. "They sound...foreign…"

Mitch grinned, opening his eyes and looking at Adam. "They are. The word is Greek. Translate it to English and you get the word 'deceivers'. They take the form of young children to trick you before turning into their real form when they have you in their grasp. Their real form is kinda like a human-bat hybrid. Not really horrifying but not pretty either. The children were scared though. The Apateónes knew I was from a group of supernaturals, they smelled it on me, and they took their real form. The kids panicked and tried to run away, but King Thome yelled at them to stay from the safety of his _carriage_." At the last few sentences, Mitch grew angrier and angrier the more he spoke about the stupid king.

"The Apateónes attacked them, didn't they?" Adam whispered softly.

Mitch sighed angrily. "They did. Before my very eyes, I watched as the children were slaughtered. When I tried to help, an Apateón attacked me. Their main weakness is fire, but I, for some stupid reason, didn't have a lighter. I would've burned the whole forest down to save those kids, even if it meant unleashing hordes of several demons from their homes." Mitch turned silent for a moment.

Adam glanced at him. "Mitch, you okay?" He questioned softly.

Mitch didn't even answer the question. "So, by the time I finished on the Apateón that had attacked me, the other Apateónes were finishing off the last drops of blood and pieces of meat from the kids. It was horrible, Adam. God…"

"Mitch, I...I really do wish I was there to help you. I'm sorry."

Mitch covered his eyes. "They were just kids…"

Adam hugged Mitch for a while, holding the teen as he cried. It seemed like forever, but Adam didn't mind at all. To watch young children die like that...that must've been horrible. To just be so suddenly unprepared when you thought you had everything that you needed...It sucked on so many levels.

"I got King Thome to Wane Kingdom, but it didn't seem worth it after that. When we reached the Wane Kingdom, I asked him, 'Are you proud of yourself?' He just glared at me and said, 'You don't have the right to criticize me. You just added unnecessary damage to the mission. Blame yourself for your failure, not me.' Then he just walked off."

"How did you get him there if the horses were eaten?"

Mitch looked at him in confusion. "What?"

"How did you get Thome to Wane Kingdom in the carriage if the horses were killed?"

"Adam...there were no horses."

"_What?!_"

"Yeah. The carriage was pulled by the children. I pulled it the rest of the way. It was heavy as hell, too."

Adam's eyes narrowed in absolute anger and fury. "So King Thome is still in Wane Kingdom, right?"

"Adam, you're not going anywhere."

"Mitch, this one time-"

"No."

Adam sighed. "Fine." There was silence for a moment. "How's your torso feeling?"

"I mean, it hurts like hell, but I'll be fine."

"You sure?" Adam asked, raising an eyebrow. "I can get you something."

Mitch shook his head. "No. It's fine. Grey's med team wasn't happy to see me back again so soon, but when I told them why, they understood and helped me the best they could."

"So you're sure you don't want _anything_? A drink? Food?"

"Not really in the mood for it after what I just witnessed." The room went silent once more. "It makes me realize how lucky I am."

Adam looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I know I almost pulled off suicide a few weeks ago, but I realize how blessed I am to have friends, a family. General Grey is an amazing person to know as well. I just feel bad for the kids that died today, in the past, and maybe the future. They aren't lucky enough to have the friendships I have and that just sucks, you know?"

Adam nodded and looked up at the ceiling. "Yeah. I know. When I was a kid growing up alone, I saw a lot of things I shouldn't have. Drugs, murders in alleyways...Things a child shouldn't have seen. Then I stumbled across you guys, and my life has never been better. I remember a few kids I had seen before who were just like me, ones who I knew would never have the future I'm living now."

"I didn't have the best childhood growing up, but at least I was stranded alone to fend for myself. Looking at those who were...for lack of a better word, abandoned, I realize that I was just another spoiled kid who didn't know what he had," Mitch said.

Adam pursed his lips. "You and I come from different paths, but I've never thought of you as some brat who had everything he wanted or else you would have turned out differently."

"And I never thought of you as what my stepfather used to call the homeless. It's something I don't prefer to say, but just know that it's bad. I respect you and the team so much."

Adam chuckled. "Thanks for not repeating it. I'm pretty sure I've heard enough of it just a few years back."

"I'm sorry, Adam, that you grew up the way you did."

Adam shrugged. "There's nothing we can do but just focus on the future we have ahead of us, right?"

Mitch nodded. "Yeah. Right."

The two teens fell into a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company. With Mitch laying on top of Adam and Adam laying on the couch, the two couldn't be more relaxed. They didn't care if they looked stupid, they were comfy.

...Until Jerome walked in.

"MITCH! I THOUGHT WE WERE A COUPLE!"

"JEROME, I CAN EXPLAIN!"

"SHUT UP, ADAM!"

Mitch smiled. Yep. Things were perfectly fine.

**And that was Day Two of Updating Week! Hope you guys enjoyed! If you did, please leave a review. Until then, stay safe, take care, love you, God bless, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**


	13. Ember: The Eye of the Guardian Flame

**The Eye of Guardian Flame**

Kyle was lying in his bed staring up at his plain, oak ceiling. There was nothing special about it. No slope, no painted over glow-in-the-dark planets, no stains to make shapes out of...nothing. Almost everyone was asleep. Adam and Ty were out as their Supernatural selves. Adam, however, refused to be killed tonight, so he went as a Demon Bird.

Kyle wanted to stretch for a few moments, give himself some room, but he couldn't do that unless Ty and Adam came back to sleep. They normally didn't do that when they are out hunting. They only sleep when they come back in the morning, which is when everyone else is awake.

Kyle liked being free for a few hours. It gave him some time to think. People thought he wasn't interested in women because he wore all pink. It was a ridiculous stereotype, really. Whenever him and Tyler went out to the city to relax, a bunch of girls would come over and flirt with Tyler. Occasionally, the women would talk about some men that they know that would appreciate Kyle. Tyler and Kyle would politely excuse themselves and leave. Tyler would give Kyle a look of sympathy and Kyle would shrug. He didn't want a relationship anyway. He was a supernatural. He couldn't have a relationship. Tyler was a human. It was completely different.

Kyle stretched before throwing himself off the bed. "I'm going to go stretch. I don't even care anymore. I need to get out there."

After leaving the house, Kyle walked deep into the forest, listening to the sounds of crickets and searching for any hostile night animals. A loud bird screech was heard as if it was some kind of hawk. Adam. A howl was heard, almost a response to the screech. Ty.

'_Great. The one day I want to go and stretch, I run into Adam and Ty. Beautiful.'_

Walking forward, Kyle knew there was use in turning in the other direction. Adam and Ty knew he was there. Darn their super hearing. Kyle can't get one moment of peace. Well, he _could_, but that was only if he woke up really early on days that are not Ty and Adam's hunting nights.

Appearing in the clearing where he heard Adam and Ty, Kyle was met with the sight of a demon bird perched on the back of a mutant wolf. Adam was a lot larger than Ty, so to see a huge figure sitting atop a smaller figure was a little humorous. Kyle didn't laugh however. He was actually apologetic. Kyle knew he worried Adam and Ty, Adam more than Ty though.

Sure enough, the demon bird hopped off the werewolf and transformed into a human in mid-air. The dark haired teenager strode over to Kyle, a concerned look on his face. Behind him, Ty had transformed back as well.

"Kyle, what are you doing out so late? Is something wrong?" Adam questioned once he arrived in front of the pink teen.

Kyle gave him a small smile. "Came to get some fresh air. I knew I was going to run into you."

Ty appeared behind Adam, a frown on his face. "Thinking about Danny again, aren't you?"

Kyle stared at him. "How did you-?"

"You never walk in the forest alone unless you're thinking about her."

Kyle sighed. "Yeah. I'm thinking about her."

Adam pursed his lips. "You know she would be proud of you, right?"

"You didn't know her." Danny was always a sore subject for Kyle. It hurt too much to think about her.

"From what you told us, it feels like I've known her forever. From her favorite color to her whole life story."

"I miss her." Kyle's throat closed up as tears brimmed his eyes. He turned his head, ready to leave the clearing. Adam placed a hand on the teen's shoulder.

Ty claimed softly, "I doubt she wanted you to be in so much pain."

Kyle opened his mouth to respond, but Tyler burst into the clearing, eyes narrowed and filled with anger. "We're under attack." The trio's moment ended and their instincts kicked in.

"What happened?" Adam barked as he raced alongside the others, rushing to get to the house.

"We don't know. We were all asleep when snow demons began attacking the base. They're freezing everything. Mitch and Jerome were holding them off, but Mitch was hit. Jerome got him out of there."

"What do you mean 'Mitch was hit'?" Adam asked, alarmed. "What happens if you're hit?"

Tyler's mouth thinned. "It's like frostbite, but worse. It spreads across the body unless it's warmed to an extreme temperature." His face turned worried. "We don't have something hot enough to help him. Not even Ash can do it right now. She's too cold."

"I think we might have something," Kyle muttered as they burst into their base's clearing.

Before any of the four teens could say something else, they were stopped by a sudden drop in temperature and sudden wind howling in their ears. The entire clearing was covered in snow and the lake next to base was pure ice. The base itself had frost covering the windows and icicles hung from the corners of the building. Snow covered the entire roof, where two large snow demons sat.

The demons looked exactly like gargoyles, except much larger and pure white. Both were perched on two separate corners of the roof, hurling icicles and snow streams at the members of Supernaturally Unlimited.

"Oh _shit_," Adam whispered as the trio stared in horror.

"We deal with this on a normal basis, but it never gets any less frightening," Ty sighed.

"Nope," Kyle agreed.

Ashley ran over, nose tinted red and skin almost white. Her electric blue and white eyes were dulling and fast. Her arms were moving up and down her biceps, trying to warm herself some way. "Thank God you're here. Jerome still hasn't returned. Jason is really wearing himself out. Tiff was looking for some fire source in the house, but all the exits are frozen shut and she can't get out."

"Damn," Adam swore. The four friends looked to their team leader for instructions. "Alright," Adam started, authority slipping into his voice. "Where's Jason?"

"He's a Reaper right now. He made himself invisible," Ashley answered.

"Okay," Adam nodded. "I'll find him and help him. Ashley, search for a way to get Tiff out of the base. That includes either breaking through the wall or breaking windows. Whatever it takes." Ashley nodded sharply. "Ty, take Tyler to A's home and find some sort of fire starter. When you do, drop off Tyler and go find Jerome and Mitch. Bring them back." Ty nodded. "And Tyler," Adam grinned. Tyler smiled, knowing exactly what was coming next. "Once you find that weapon, light those bastards up." Tyler nodded as well, though much more enthusiastically. "Kyle, you said you might have a plan to kill these things and save Mitch's life. Where is the best place for you?"

"Right here is perfect, Adam." Kyle glared at the snow demons.

Adam nodded. "Alright. Go!"

Ashley ran off towards the house and Adam transformed into a demon bird, taking to the snowy and dark skies. Tyler hopped onto the newly transformed mutant wolf and the duo took off into the cold forest. Kyle took a deep breath and raced off towards the house. He came up beside Ashley, who was banging her shoulder against a frozen window, cracking it slightly.

Kyle caught her from hitting the window again and pulled her close to him. "Wait, Ash. You're doing more damage to yourself than the window."

Ashley sighed. "I need something hot. It's too cold for me to use any electricity to break this open."

"I know," Kyle muttered, rubbing her back comfortingly as he searched for any easier entrance. "Did we try the roof yet?"

"No," Ashley replied tiredly. "We thought it'd be harder to open since the door's iron."

"Let's try it." Kyle grabbed Ashley's hand and pulled her with him, running towards the back out of the house. They climbed up the swaying and freezing rope ladder, creeping towards the entryway. When they reached the door, they saw that they lock was frozen shut. Ashley sighed.

"See, Kyle?" She yelled over the howling winds. "We can't get in."

"Wait!" He ran over to the edge of the roof and grabbed a thick icicle, using all his strength to yank it off the side. He raced back over and started smashing the pointed side against the iced over lock. The ice broke and Kyle banged his shoulder into the door, busting it open.

The duo raced down the wooden steps, the inside of the house much warmer. Kyle started to see color returning to Ashley's face and her eyes starting to crackle much more furiously. He saw her grin and knew she was getting more powerful. He smiled to himself, but it quickly faded when he remembered what he was about to do.

He was going to unleash his supernatural side.

Kyle gulped nervously as he raced with Ashley to find Tiff. He knew he couldn't be afraid. The monster in him would use that against Kyle. He would force Kyle to turn on his friends. It was exhausting.

"Tiff!" He called out. "Where are you?!" His voice fell flat in the large four-story base.

"Tiff!" Ashley cried out. "Tiff, answer us!" The duo raced down the stairs to the bottom floor.

"Tiff!" Kyle called again.

"In the Lounge!" The female answered back. Kyle and Ashley sprinted to the Lounge, where they found Tiff standing in the fireplace. Kyle and Ashley stared, wondering how the hell Tiff got herself in the fireplace to begin with.

"Tiff, now is not the time for sprinter cleaning," Ashley said slowly.

"Sprinter?" Tiff questioned.

"Well, it's spring and those things are making it winter so for now, it's sprinter. Don't judge a word I just said."

"We're silently judging," Kyle joked. At Ashley's glare, Kyle cleared his throat. "Anyways, Tiff, what are you doing?"

"I'm cleaning out the chimney, so we can start a fire and, hopefully, make it big enough to get it through and outside," Tiff replied, her voice echoing in the chimney. They couldn't see her face, but Ashley and Kyle could assume her face was covered with soot.

"Are you almost done though?" Ashley asked. "The rest of team is getting their butts whipped."

"I'm almost done. Just gotta clear this part and-" A large, black cloud of smoke burst of the fireplace. Tiff stumbled out, coughing and covered in ash. "God dang it."

Ashley waved her hand in the air, trying to clear the smoke away from her face. "Well, I don't think it's blocked now. I'll light the fire. I'm much warmer now." She walked up to the logs beside the fireplace and threw them inside, arranging them to light the best fire. Using her electrical powers, a snap of lightning was all it took to light a large fire. The fire roared through the chimney and out into the open world.

The trio sprinted back up several flights of stairs and onto the rooftop, watching as the flames began to melt the snow and ice around the house, but it didn't seem to reach the snow demons.

'_No, no, no, no! It didn't work!_" Kyle bit his lip. '_Now I have to unleash the monster. Might as well tell Tiff and Ashley to stand back."_

He turned to the disappointed females next to him. "I need you guys to back up. I don't want to hit you."

"Kyle, what are you doing?" Tiff asked, face still dirty.

The response she got back was the sounds of bones cracking and muscles tearing. It didn't take long, just a few seconds, but it seemed like forever to Kyle. The transformation happened quick, but it hurt like hell.

Where Kyle once was, a large, long, red and gold dragon stood tall and fierce. Its wings were large and the wing web was a light red, borderline pink. The scales were a dark red, almost like oxygenated blood. Horns ran from the top of the skull to the bottom of the neck in a straight line. The horns itself had blood stains on them, indicating they had been used in battle before. The muscles of the dragon were strong and the wing claws at the end of each wing phalange was gold. There were gold spikes going from the beginning of the tail to the end, growing larger by size, and shaping into the gold carpal spade spike at the tip. The carpal spade spike was also tainted with blood, an indication that something had been stabbed by it. The dragon's eyes were a bright orange with black slits.

When the dragon roared, flames burst out of its mouth, but it soon disappeared as water and ice touched it. The dragon snorted, smoke rising out of its nostrils, and hopped off the base roof and onto the ground. Its gold claws dug into the freezing snow as the snow demons pelted its strong, body armor scales.

The dragon leaped to where the flames were starting to lower and began to almost eat the flames whole. The fire died out, becoming food for the dragon. The dragon's mouth was full with fire, and its chest was puffed out, ready to melt the snow demons.

Sure enough, that's exactly what the dragon did.

Once the snow demons were in sight and reproducing more ice, the dragons blew out the flames, catching the two snow gargoyles in the plume of fire, melting the enemies to the ground.

Once all that was left was water, the dragon moved to the front of the base, searching for Mitch, who was supposed to have arrived.

In front of him, the dragon saw Kyle's friends, seven of them staring in awe and one on the ground. The mystical being trotted over to the fallen teammate and laid down on its stomach, legs tucked underneath him. Knowing that flames would be way too hot to cure the extreme frostbite on Mitch's side, the dragon lightly pressed the side of the carpal spade spike to the injury. The heat of the spike warmed the frosted area, slowly bringing it back to its normal temperature and out of the danger zone.

The pain that was etched on Mitch's sleeping form faded away, replaced by a relaxed expression. The other seven teammates watched as the dragon painfully transformed back into Kyle, who stumbled and caught by Tyler.

"Holy shit, dude," Adam whispered, staring at the pink teen.

"I'm slightly jealous right now," Tiff said in awe.

"Kyle's a dragon," Tyler stated bluntly, pointing out the very obvious.

Kyle gave a weak thumbs up and a tired nod. "Yep. Nce figuring it out, Tyler. My plans were foiled," Kyle said sarcastically, yawning at the end of his sentence.

"Well, Kyle's tired, Mitch is knocked out, and I want my sleep," Ashley started. "So, I think we should go to bed."

"Are we just moving past the fact that Kyle's a dragon?" Tyler questioned incredulously. Everyone ignored him.

Jerome picked up Mitch from the ground and began to carry him to the unfrozen door. Ty took Kyle from Tyler and followed Jerome. The rest of the team began to walk away as well, leaving a stunned Tyler behind.

"Guys, are you freaking kidding me right now?!" Tyler exclaimed.

Adam sighed, walked back, and grabbed Tyler's hand, dragging the younger male with him. "Yes. We got it. Kyle's a dragon. We're just way too tired to care."

**And that was Day 4 of U.W.! Hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter! There will be a part two, but it's gonna be posted on the 10th of November, so look out for that. If you guys liked this chapter, please leave a review below! It means so much to me. Until then, stay safe, take care, love you, God bless, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**


	14. Happy Thanksgiving

**Hello my Mortem Venators! Sorry for the short chapter. Wanted to make this quick so I could be with my family. I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for you guys. Hope you guys enjoy! R&amp;R! Until then, stay safe, take care, love ya, God bless, and...DARKSOMEONE 41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**

**Happy Thanksgiving**

"FOOD! FOOD! ADAM, WAKE UP! THERE'S GONNA BE FOOD TODAY!"

Two pairs of footsteps scampered out of the bedroom and to the one next to Adam's.

"FOOD! FOOD! TY, WAKE UP! THERE'S GONNA BE FOOD TODAY!"

Adam moaned as he woke up. His eyes burned and quickly shut as he was greeted with his bedroom lights suddenly on. He blinked quickly to adjust to the sudden brightness. He sat up in bed and held his forehead, fingers in his messy hair and palm on the left side of his head.

Adam shook his head before climbing out of bed. He hoped those idiots wouldn't go and bother Jerome. The Bacca had been suffering from a head cold for the past couple of days and needed all the rest he could get.

Adam was going to _kill_ Tyler and Kyle.

He grabbed his clothes for the day and locked himself in the bathroom. He turned on the shower and undressed as he waited for the water to warm. He stepped inside the shower and began to wonder what exactly those idiots were talking about.

Oh wait.

It was Thanksgiving!

Where those two really more concerned about the food rather than what they should be thankful for? Adam didn't really blame them. Once Ashley and Tiff got in the kitchen, the base would be flooded with the delicious aroma of food. Everything else would be forgotten. Not only that, but this Thanksgiving was going to be really special.

It was the Team's first Thanksgiving together. They had all agreed to dress nicely.

Adam turned off the shower after washing his hair before stepping out of the tub and wrapping his lower body in a towel. The cold air greeted him harshly as he stepped away from the warm steam of his hot shower.

He dressed and brushed his teeth, grabbing his cloak off his desk's chair on his way out of his room. He walked down the stairs to the first floor and towards the cafe. Pushing open the doors, Adam saw Jason in the kitchen through the open space in the wall between the cafeteria and kitchen.

"They woke you up, too, Jay?" Adam yawned, strolling over to the window and resting his elbows on the wooden ledge, leaning against them.

Jason turned around, bags under his eyes and a mug of coffee in his hand. "Yeah." He scoffed. "I had just gone to sleep too." He held up his mug to Adam. "Coffee?"

"Please." Jason went to slide his coffee to Adam, but the Demon Bird waved it away. "No. It's okay. Enjoy it. I'll wait for mine."

"You sure?" Jason asked, hesitant to take back his mug.

"Yeah, Jay. It's cool."

"Alright…" Jason replied, setting the coffee maker to make another cup.

"So, you said you had just gone to bed?" Adam questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Jason scoffed as he started the coffee maker and leaned against the wooden ledge on the opposite side. "Yeah. I was up all night working."

"Working? You mean killing yourself."

Jason groaned and rolled his eyes. "Here we go again."

Adam narrowed his eyes. "Jason, you're down in your lab practically twenty-four seven! Take a break, dude! We tell you this every day!"

"And I always tell you-"

"It's to keep you safe," Adam finished, simultaneously speaking with Jason. He rolled his eyes. "We got it."

The coffee maker beeped and Jason turned around, taking the mug of coffee out of the machine. "I only do it because I care enough to keep you alive, Adam."

"Yeah, but it's not healthy, Jay!" Adam responded, watching as Jason mixed in cream and sugar.

"I won't deny that, I'm constantly tired. Any time I'm not working, I'm either asleep, blinking in and out of consciousness, or battling demons. But it's worth it."

Adam frowned as Jason handed him his cup. "Jay...Can you do something for me?"

"Depends," Jason replied, furrowing his eyebrows and taking a sip of his own coffee. "What is it?"

"After dinner tonight, will you go get a good night's sleep? Just once?"

Jason set his cup down. "Adam, I-"

Adam looked at Jason with pleading eyes. "Jason, how bad is it?"

Jason's hand instinctively moved to his side, his face dropping in fright. "Adam…"

"Jason, how large has it gotten?"

"I...haven't checked…"

"Jason!" Adam moaned. "It kills you, and you don't check it or manage it? What the hell?"

"Adam, I'm sorry," Jason whispered softly.

"Are you, Jay?" Adam asked sorrowfully. "You keep doing this. It won't go away as easily as you might think."

"I know...I wish it would," Jason muttered sadly.

"You're sleeping with me tonight," Adam stated bluntly. "No ifs, ands, or buts about it. You're sleeping with me."

"You don't have to. I was going to go to sleep by myself," Jason started.

"Nope. I know you. Ty knows you. You aren't going to go to bed without a nightmare or two. We want to be there when you do."

Jason looked up. He began to open his mouth to say something but quickly shut it when he remembered who he was talking to.

Adam blinked. "What? What were you going to say?"

Jason waved it away. "Nothing. Never mind. It's dumb of me to say."

"Jay, what were you going to say?" Adam urged, desperate to know what Jay was hiding.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to be there to make fun of me. Then I realized that it was you I was talking to."

Adam stared at him. "Yeah, no. We wouldn't do that. None of us would. We all know what it's like to have a nightmare. It's not easy."

Jason was about to respond when Ashley sluggishly walked into the cafeteria. She saw the duo at the window and quickly asked,

"Am I interrupting something?"

"No, you're good," Adam replied. "Kyle and Tyler?"

Ashley dragged herself next to Adam, leaning on the same window next to him. "I'm gonna shock their asses."

"Get in line," Jason muttered. "Coffee?"

"Please," Ashley begged. " I need something to wake me up for Thanksgiving."

"Did they wake up Jerome?" Adam asked as Jason turned to make Ashley's cup.

"No. They know better. Mitch would kill them before any of us could get to them," Ashley snickered.

"Did you check on him?"

"Yeah. He's doing a little better. A headache and congestion. He went back to sleep after I had finished asking him how he was."

"Cranky?"

Ashley shook her head. "No, actually. He was pretty chill about it."

"Patient Jerome in a nutshell," Jason commented. "How do you take it, Ash?"

"Seven sugars." Jason and Adam stared at her.

"You're joking," Jason said.

Ashley shook her head. "Nope. Why do you think I'm so wired? Pun intended."

Adam snorted as Jason raised his hands in surrender before moving to pour seven teaspoons of sugar.

"TY! WAIT! STOP! IT'S FOOD! IT'S FOOD!"

"IT'S EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, YOU ASSHOLES!"

"Ty's awake, guys," Adam pointed out, drinking from his cup.

Ashley took her own mug from Jason and blew on it before taking a sip. "Yup."

"No one's going back to sleep now," Jason muttered before drinking as well.

"Nope," Adam and Ashley agreed.

::::TIME LAPSE::::

"ADAM!"

Adam's eyes suddenly snapped open and he shot up into a sitting position on the Lounge's couch. "I wasn't sleeping," he quickly lied.

Jason scoffed from his spot on the loveseat. "Yeah right. Ashley's calling you from upstairs."

"YEAH, ASH?" Adam called.

"CAN YOU COME UP HERE?"

"COMING!" Adam stood up and stretched before heading up the stairs. "What is it, Ash?" He asked through her closed bedroom door.

Ashley poked her head out. "I need you to tell me how this dress looks."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "Okay."

"Come in."

Adam walked through the door, Ashley shutting it behind him. He looked at her and blinked in surprise.

The Techno was wearing a tight dress, the color of coral. The light pink dress clashed perfectly with Ashley's bold blue eyes. Her tan skin complimented the coral dress nicely, and the tightness of the dress showed off her curves a little bit. Had the dress been on Tiff, it would've been a little too revealing.

"Ash, you look gorgeous," Adam breathed in astonishment.

Ashley blushed. "Thanks. I'm surprised it fits. It was my mom's old prom dress. You were the first person I wanted to show it to."

"I'm glad you did. You look _amazing_!" Adam complimented.

"Wow, Adam," Ashley laughed. "You really know how to flatter a girl." Adam chuckled as well. "Can you do me one last favor?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Can you help me put on the necklace? I always have trouble with it."

"Yeah. Of course."

Ashley handed him the matching necklace, three gold chain layers with small blue rocks. Adam wrapped it around her neck loosely before clipping the back together.

"Voilà!" Adam exclaimed, taking a step back. "A stunning Techno!"

"Voilà!" Ashley mocked, spreading her arms to gesture towards the Demon Bird who dressed in a tuxedo. "A handsome Demon Bird!"

"Squawk."

Ashley snorted before crouching down and grabbing a pair of coral colored heels from under her bed. She sat down on the mattress and was about to put them on when Adam interrupted.

"Please, allow me, milady."

"Adam...why?"

::::TIME LAPSE::::

All the men were outside of the cafeteria, dressed in their tuxedos as they waited for Ashley and Tiff to tell them dinner was ready. The smell of turkey and pork shoulder and ham and sweet potatoes and other foods filled the air, making the guys' mouths water.

"Food…" Kyle whispered.

"That's all you and Tyler have been talking about today," Jason sighed. "You even woke us up for it."

"Sorry," Kyle apologized, shrugging his shoulders. "But food is food."

"Yeah. We got that," Mitch replied.

Tiff walked out, dressed in a tight red dress, silver jewelry, and black heels. A smile was on her beautiful face. "Dinner is served, boys." She led the men inside, where Ashley was waiting for them.

The Techno gestured to the salad bars in the middle of the room, each one filled with different mouth-watering foods.

"Why do you two have to be such great cooks?" Adam whispered, practically drooling.

"Why not?" Tiff replied jokingly. "Now go on. Ash and I didn't cook for you to just stand there."

"Shouldn't we say grace before we eat?" Tyler asked. Jason and Ashley's eyes lit up.

"Oh yeah!" Jason agreed. "I almost forgot."

"Grace?" Kyle asked.

"You've never said grace before eating a Thanksgiving meal?" Ashley questioned.

"Never had one," Adam shrugged.

"Grace is when you make a circle around the food and one of us prays for the blessings that we have and what we are grateful for," Tyler explained. "So gather 'round."

The team formed a circle around the salad bars and held hands, closing their eyes.

"Tyler, you leading us?" Jason asked.

"Sure." Tyler took a deep breath before beginning.

"Lord, we would like to say thank you for the meal you have blessed us with tonight and we hope that others may have this opportunity as well. We pray for another meal like this next year and pray for those who are not fortunate enough to celebrate this day with their family. May we enjoy this meal tonight. In your name, we pray. Amen."

"Amen," the others echoed.

"Well," Ashley smiled. "Let's dig in!"


	15. Grey Is Just A Mix Of Black And White

Grey is Just a Mix of Black and White

When Mitch woke up and stared at his alarm clock, he knew he needed to leave the house immediately. If he didn't, he would attack anyone who came in contact with him. He wasn't even going to bother exiting by the front door. The window seemed like a better option.

He quickly showered, dressed, and brushed his teeth, wanting to be out of his room before anyone attempted to come in. He grabbed the prepacked duffel bag by his door and went to the window, opening it before hopping out. He landed on the grass with an almost inaudible thud.

Satisfied with his landing, Mitch stood and began his trek through the forest. It was still dark out, and monsters would still be roaming around, so when he was about twenty feet into the forest, he opened his duffel bag and pulled out his custom Ruger LC9 nine millimeter semiautomatic pistol. None of his guns had laser sight, so he had to aim quickly on his own. Mitch also put his ammo belt around his waist, several types of bullets and small weapons were attached. He left his bag open for quick future use and continued on his way through the forest. It was only a few minutes later did he become grateful for taking out his gun and ammo belt. A Grey Master had appeared before him.

'_A Grey Master is an offspring of the Black Dog in the wild mountain ranges. The Black Dog is a ghost dog myth that kills and eats any traveller nearby. A Grey Master is the offspring of the Black Dog and the Banshee. A confusing mix as the Banshee normally rides with the Headless Horseman, but it happened. Because of this mix, a Grey Master is a class one demon and a terrifying one at that._

'_Though it has the face of an English mastiff, a Grey Master is about four times the size of the world's largest English mastiff and about twenty times the weight. The demon is a very smoky grey, which makes sense because the very substance the demon is made of is smoke and fog. Fog clouds swirl at each of the four grey paws. Each paw has black nails tinged with red. The eyes are all yellow, not a speck of any other color among them. _

'_The bark is the worst part despite the intimidating appearance. At first glance, the resemblance of the Black Dog is immediately shown, whereas the grey color is difficult to find out and can only be seen when told of the Banshee as the mother. However, the bark gives a clear clue as to who the second parent was. With one bark, a human's eardrums can shatter and the brain could explode from the inside, for the bark is the Banshee's shriek but with a tinge of Black Dog's ferocious bellow. Special earplugs must be used to block out the sound almost completely.'_

This all went through Mitch's mind in milliseconds. Without hesitation, Mitch pulled out a magazine of yellow bullets and loaded them into his pistol. He fired three shots to the head with such speed, the Grey Master couldn't even open his jaw to scream, much less growl. Mitch didn't have time for this. He was way too pissed for some stupid shit.

Even though the Grey Master was made of smoke and fog, the yellow bullets were packed with light energy, therefore clearing out the dense and dark substance. The bullet had to have made contact with the Grey Master's brain to have activated so quickly.

He unloaded the yellow bullets magazine and slid it back into its holder. With many different monsters in the world came many different weaknesses, so Mitch had color coded his bullets so that he could gun down his enemies quicker. That's what he was supposed to do, right? It's what he was. A mirthless, merciless, and intelligent soldier with no regards for any life form. Now that was a damn shame.

Realizing that he most likely would encounter a low class demon next, Mitch loaded up his white bullets and continued his walk, passing the body of the Grey Master without remorse.

When he was about twenty paces away from the Grey Master's corpse, he stopped. Today wasn't his day, that he very much knew, but it was no reason to kill monsters without pity, evil or not.

So with that in his mind, Mitch turned around and slouched over to the dead body. He knelt beside the Grey Master and pulled out his ace bandage and med kit from the duffel bag. Once a Grey Master dies, its body hardens into real grey fur, resembling its gas form, an abnormally large English mastiff.

Mitch wrapped up the wound after cleaning it. He moved the demon's head onto his lap and planted a kiss onto the wound. He sat there for a while, waiting and waiting and waiting. He knew what he was waiting for, and what he'd have to encounter. He had to pay for this kill whether he liked it or not.

It took five minutes for Black Dog and Banshee to arrive, their faces angry and eyes fierce, but when they saw Mitch on the ground with their dead child, their faces relaxed.

Black Dog was exactly was his name implied. He was the size of two horses length and height wise. He was built with the width of a black bear and the muscles of a pitbull terrier. His jaw was strong enough to bite through titanium. Human flesh and bones was nothing to Black Dog.

Banshee was very different. Her skin was grey with swamp green blotches everywhere. Her eyes were a triple gray color with no pupils. Her left eye was sewed closed with a needle sticking out through both eyelids. The left side of Banshee's face was melted and dropped down. Her mouth was incapable of closing, so she used her scream to incapacitate her prey before sucking out the victim's blood and soul with her long and sharp tongue. She wore a black tattered dress, and her feet was covered with cuts and scars from walking barefooted. He black hair was covered with dirt and other various materials such as sticks and leaves. Banshee's fingernails were long and pointed, ready to pierce through flesh. She reeked of rotten corpses.

"_**You are the one who killed our offspring, are you not?"**_ Banshee questioned, her voice angry with a tinge of empathy.

"Yeah," Mitch whispered, stroking the Grey Master's fur. "I did."

"_**He had a family,"**_ Black Dog growled remorsefully. "_**Why would you do this to him?"**_

"It's my job to," Mitch answered quietly, looking down at the dead demon.

"_**It is more than just that, is it not?"**_ Banshee assumed, her right eye narrowing in suspicion.

"...Yeah. It is."

"_**Why are you confiding your feelings into two monsters who want to tear you apart for killing one of their children?"**_ Black Dog questioned spitefully.

"For the same reason you haven't killed me yet," Mitch answered quietly, looking up at the towering monster. "We have something in common."

"_**And what is that, you fool?"**_

"We both lost someone important to us, and we both lost our innocence a long time ago."

Black Dog snarled angrily and was about to rip off Mitch's head, but Banshee stuck her arm out in front of him and said, _**"No. The boy is right."**_ She narrowed her eye at Mitch. _**"Well, human, let us move some place where we can talk uninterrupted."**_

Mitch nodded and slid his arms under the deceased Grey Master. He was more than strong enough to lift up the dog. The other two monsters watched in amazement as Mitch picked up the demon with very slight trouble and stood, duffel bag still on his shoulder. "I've regretted my decision in killing your child, so I bandaged him and took care of him. Leaving his body here alone is a ridiculous choice and means nothing to me. I'd much rather carry him with us and give him a proper burial by my side."

Banshee and Black Dog stood quiet for a moment, staring in shock at Mitch's actions. Banshee nodded a few moments later. _**"Yes. That seems right. Thank you, young boy."**_

Mitch nodded and waited for Banshee and Black Dog to pass him. When they did, he began to follow.

He had been holding his anger in for a while and let his sadness pour out. The kill of the Grey Master had pushed him to be extremely behind schedule, something he was not happy with at all.

Black Dog spoke after a few minutes of silence, interrupting Mitch's thoughts. _**"So, young boy, have you any explanation as to why our son is dead?"**_

Mitch looked down at the body in his hands before replying, "I have no real explanation but that my impulsive actions are a curse placed over me this morning."

_**"A curse, you say?"**_ Black Dog asked amusingly, a smirk dancing on his marred face. _**"What curse?"**_

"The curse of being raised in a home with no father or mother but a sinful human instead. The curse of waking up full of inner turmoil several times a year because of the memories within my mind of the man who destroyed my innocence under the disguise of love and mercy." Mitch took a deep breath. "The curse of being raised in a home where the thought of that there is just a Devil and no God was drilled into my mind to be with me forever. The thought that every living being is doomed to sin from the day they are born to the day they die."

"_**Is the man family to you?"**_ Banshee asked.

"He's my stepfather. Nothing more."

Banshee was about to say something else when a werewolf howl echoed through the forest. We all stopped and had we kept going, The Count would've pounced on us.

The blue and red werewolf looked beyond livid. His fur was sticking up along his spine and his teeth were bared. His ears were pushed back and his claws were unsheathed. He was ready to tear about a person or two.

"_**The boy is mine now,"**_ The Count growled. "_**I will be taking him with me immediately."**_

Black Dog moved up closer to The Count, equal in size and in a similar position. "_**I highly doubt you will be able to take the boy from me, Count."**_ The two dogs began to circle each other intimidatingly.

"_**Do you want me to show you what I am capable of, you scrawny mutt?"**_ The Count snarled.

Mitch blinked in surprise. Out of time Mitch had known The Count, he had never known the elder be so disrespectful, much less angry. Nevertheless, what The Count had said was true. Though the two may be equal in size and mass, The Count was much stronger and much more intelligent.

"_**I will make sure you will never crawl out of your dark hole again, whore,"**_ Black Dog barked.

Before The Count could even move, the Grey Master was on the ground, and Mitch was in front of The Count, already pushing the gold bullet magazine into his Ruger, aiming it at Black Dog. An emotionless face stared back at the demon. "_Never_ speak to him the way you just did," Mitch threatened, face expressionless and voice dark. "Or I will end you now in a second."

Black Dog growled, foaming at the mouth. _**"You think you scare me, boy?"**_

"I should," Mitch replied in a low voice, pulling back the gun's safety. "Because I have killed demons bigger than you."

_**"Like who?"**_ Banshee questioned, smirking as much as she could with her melted mouth. _**"You, a fragile boy, could not kill a bug."**_

Mitch grinned sadistically. He began to chuckle a low laugh. "'Couldn't kill a bug," He chuckled amusingly. His voice dropped to a sadistic taunt. "I killed your son."

A roar sounded and Black Dog charged at Mitch. The Count tackled the monster to the ground as Banshee launched herself straight at Mitch. The teen put down his gun and used one hand to grab the female's throat while she was in mid-air, pinning her to the ground in one swift motion, kneeling down on one knee.

_**"What...are...you?"**_ She croaked through the little air she could gather.

"I'm merely a hunter as you are merely a monster," Mitch replied calmly.

_**"Who have you killed?"**_

Mitch smirked. "Why, I killed Silent Death, of course."

_**"You...no...you are nothing but a child,"**_ Banshee gasped.

Mitch smiled. "Ask Silent Death yourself..." He paused mockingly. "Oh right. You _can't_."

_**"Are you deeming fit to kill me?"**_ Banshee rasped.

"Do you deem fit to leave here should I let you go?"

_**"We would have to find out then, would we not?"**_ Banshee chuckled.

Mitch's eyes narrowed menacingly, shutting Banshee up. "You are in no position to bargain with me."

Banshee would've shot through his grasp with her own strength had Mitch not been so strong in his hold. Her lungs were not able to get the oxygen they needed or able to expel the carbon dioxide that would kill her. She was barely breathing and Mitch didn't seem to care at all. It seemed that he couldn't care less if he killed her or not.

A question came to her mind that she and Black Dog had not thought to ask when they first met this child. _**"Who...are...you?"**_

The Count pinned Black Dog to the ground and the duo stopped moving. Mitch's dark chuckles were heard throughout the clearing. The two dogs snapped their necks toward Banshee then Mitch, awaiting an answer.

"My name is Mitch Hertz and I am with Team Unknown, created by a General James Grey," the teen answered truthfully, albeit a bit low.

_**"If you killed Silent Death, why have I not heard of such a name?"**_ Banshee wheezed. The Count's eyes widened before the answer even formed on Mitch's tongue.

"I killed Silent Death before I joined the team, long before Team Unknown. I was about the age of thirteen and under the influence of a darker power. Back then, I was not known as Mitch Hertz. No. I was more commonly called Mitchell Chesterfield or Mitchell Hughes."

Black Dog let out a feral growl. _**"There is no evidence that proves this statement to be true. Silent Death was far too powerful to have been killed by a mere child. Mitchell Chesterfield died years ago!"**_

"Thus creating Mitch Hertz," Mitch grinned. This was far too amusing to stop.

_**"Impossible,"**_ Black Dog snarled.

Mitch shrugged. "It matters not to me whether you believe me or not. You have heard far too much. Therefore," Mitch lifted the barrel of his Ruger to Banshee's left chest. "You must fall."

Before The Count could stop him, a gunshot sounded and black blood splurted out from Banshee's corpse, spreading across the grass and Mitch's face. The teen didn't even care and wiped it away from his eyes, not cleaning it all away.

He got up from the body and stared coldly into Black Dog's angry eyes. "May this be a warning that I am not simply human," Mitch started. "But a sadistic bastard as well." The teen left to the Grey Master's body, picking it up and resuming his trek again to where he wanted to be long ago.

The Count looked down at the dog he had pinned below him. He sighed and didn't even give Black Dog a chance to retaliate before biting down on the demon's throat, leaving the monster to a slow death, and following the notorious hunter.

The Count caught up to Mitch and began walking slowly next to Mitch. Surprisingly, he wasn't the one who spoke the first word.

"Count, why did you come?" Mitch asked.

"_**I felt you walking in the forest without your teammates and alongside two monsters. I thought you may have needed assistance. I appear to have been wrong."**_

Mitch bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Count."

"_**There is nothing you need to apologize for, Master Hertz."**_ The Count looked down at the teen. "_**I suppose you do not want to be known as Mitchell Chesterfield Hughes, correct?"**_

Mitch shook his head. "No...I hate that name."

"_**I can see why you would, Master Hertz, but Mitchell Chesterfield Hughes has done good deeds in his life."**_

The teen looked down at the dead Grey Master. "It will never outweigh the bad," he sighed. "Mitchell Chesterfield Hughes isn't me anymore." He took a deep breath. "Who am I kidding? What I did back there _was_ Mitchell Chesterfield Hughes. I turned into him, and I killed Banshee."

"_**Master Hertz, it is not right for you to demote yourself to the level of a murderer. While Mister Chesterfield Hughes had done good deeds, you are correct. Mister Chesterfield Hughes was a feared man."**_ At this, Mitch looked away, ashamed. "_**That does not mean you are him, however. While you may have fallen under the influence of the hunter, you are Mitch Hertz now."**_

Mitch was about to respond when The Count's tail suddenly wrapped itself around his waist and gently yanked him back. He hadn't been looking where he was going and almost walked right into a clearing where another base was held.

From the naked eye, it looked a regular birch house that was small and fit for one, but Mitch knew better. Underneath the ground lay a maze of tunnels built of iron and chemistry labs. As well as weapons rooms and bunkers, there were sick and sadistic testing labs.

"_**You almost walked right into plain view, Master Hertz,"**_ The Count warned, looking down at the teenager. "_**Is this where you wished to go?"**_

"Yeah," Mitch whispered. "It causes me so much pain to be here. It hurts. But I like the pain. It makes me feel alive."

"_**Are you implying that you feel empty without pain?"**_

"Yes. Sometimes, I think to draw a knife to my skin and see how much I'd bleed. How much pain I'd feel." Tears filled his eyes, and Mitch shut his eyes closed, pushing the tears out to leak down his face. "Count...It hurts to know that I hate myself, but I love it at the same time. Why? Why am I so messed up like this?! Where did I go wrong?!"

The Count used his tail to pull Mitch closer to him, resting his head over the teen's shoulder. The young male sobbed desperately into the blue fur, his body wracking with tears. All The Count did was hold him, and Mitch broke like a dam.

"I-I k-killed the G-Grey M-M-Master for no reason at all!" Mitch cried, ashamed for his actions. "B-Banshee too! What am I?!"

"_**Master Hertz, the Grey Master and Banshee were more than willing to kill you with no hesitation. What you did was not in cold blood. It was a matter of self defense, even if you did land the first blow."**_

"That's not how it works!" Mitch argued. "I attacked them!"

"_**Had they attacked you first, Master Hertz, you would be dead where you once stood with the Grey Master."**_

Mitch fell silent as tears soaked The Count's fur, but the werewolf didn't mind at all. He patiently waited for the male to calm down before lifting Mitch onto his back and carrying him and the Grey Master home. By the time, the three had reached the base, Mitch had cleared his tears and his eyes were no longer red.

The teen hopped off The Count's back and took a shovel out of his duffel bag. He began to dig a deep and long hole by the edge of the forest. As he did so, the rest of the team came outside, worry plastered on their faces.

"Mitch!" Adam exclaimed. "Where the hell were you?!"

Mitch abruptly stopped his digging. He paused for a minute before turning around, a huge smile on his face. "Sorry. I had stuff to do and a Grey Master attacked me during my walk. I'm digging a grave to bury it. Why don't you guys head to the Lounge and I'll meet you all there to tell you about Grey Masters?"

The team hesitated but nodded and left to go inside. The Count glanced down at Mitch.

"_**You never cease to astonish me with your impeccable lies, Master Hertz. It worries me quite a bit."**_

"It's not something to be proud of, Count," Mitch agreed, continuing his dig. "But it does come in handy from time to time."

**And that was Grey is Just A Mix Of Black and White! This chapter was a gift to my dear friend, Candyphone. Today is our three year anniversary of talking. This is really late but I hope everyone enjoyed. Until then, stay safe, take care, God bless, love you, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**


	16. Merry Christmas

**Hello my Mortem Venators and welcome to another holiday chapter! This is a lovely Christmas chapter with some...guests. I hope you all enjoy! Sorry if this chapter is short or seems as rushed as the Thanksgiving chapter. I meant to get this done sooner but school and Christmas shopping got in the way. Now I just want to spend time with my family. So, again, hope you all enjoy! R&amp;R!**

**The Meaning of Merry**

Mitch yawned as he watched Ashley cook breakfast from the cafeteria side of the window. "Morning, Ash."

She turned around in surprise, smiling as she saw her friend standing there. "Hey, Mitch!"

"Need help?" He questioned, not wanting her to work so hard alone.

"Uh…" She thought for a moment, wondering what she should have Mitch do. "Can you make the bacon for me?"

"Yeah sure." Mitch pushed through the side door that led into the kitchen and began to take out the bacon from the blue and white fridge. It was silent in the room as the food cooked for a moment until Ashley said,

"So, it's just a few weeks until Christmas and I wanted to know if you would like to help me set up the tree."

Mitch looked over at her as he flipped over a slice of bacon. "'Set up?'"

She nodded. "Yeah. The tree's fake. We have to build it."

"_Build_ it? That's not a Christmas tree, Ash," Mitch pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

Ashley blushed. "I didn't think you wanted a real one."

"Why'd you think that?"

Ashley's voice dropped to a whisper. "Cuz you told me once that you didn't like Christmas…"

Mitch's eyes widened and he blinked. "Ash, you really thought I hated Christmas so much that I didn't want you guys to have fun with it?"

"I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. Not only that, but the Alayliths and that stupid King Thome mission…"

Mitch furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What about it?"

"Well, it's been so stressful for you lately that I thought we should let you relax for a little while and…_collect_ yourself," she muttered quietly.

Mitch lost his words in surprise. '_She wanted to make a small Christmas this year so I could just relax and not stress about anything. Wow…'_

"It wasn't just me either. The rest of the base thought so, too. We think you deserve it after all you've done for us."

"Th-Thanks, Ash, but Christmas is Christmas, and I'm perfectly fine with it being big and exciting, even if I'm not a big fan of it."

"But I thought it'd be too much to handle. And besides, I don't think I can just lift a tree out of the ground and bring it to the Lounge."

Mitch laughed. "You do realize that this base holds nine strong and fully capable of lifting a tree teens, right?"

"I won't disagree with 'strong,' but 'fully capable of lifting a tree' seems a little extreme," Ashley argued.

"You mean ex-_tree_-me."

Ashley and Mitch groaned at the horrible pun as Adam laughed. The duo turned around and faced the smiling teen.

"Really, Adam?" Ashley asked tiredly. "So early too?"

Adam pouted. "Jess would've laughed."

"Jess would've countered back with another pun."

"That's true," Adam agreed. "So, what's this about lifting trees?"

"Ashley bought a fake tree for Christmas," Mitch explained, lifting the slices of bacon onto a plate and putting down a few more on the girdle.

"A _what?!_" Adam exclaimed. "Fake?! Ashley! How could you?"

"Oh stop it," Ashley sighed, turning around to flip her pancakes. "It's just a tree."

"It is not just a tree!" Adam responded incredulously. "It's the tree of giving, the tree of...life. Your tree is gonna kill Christmas!"

Ashley slammed her spatula down on the counter and faced Adam. "Exajero!"

Mitch choked back his shocked laughter, starting a coughing fit. "Whoa!"

"It is _not_ all that, pendejo!" Ashley snapped. "Calm down!"

"I think you need to calm down, Ash," Mitch laughed. "_You're_ being an exajera."

"Since when did you guys learn Spanish?" Adam questioned.

"Spanish novellas," Ashley answered. "While you go do whatever you do with General Grey every Tuesday, the rest of us watch Spanish novellas with Tiff. She introduced them to us. We do some Spanish lessons, too, sometimes."

"And this is every Tuesday?" Adam asked.

"Yup."

"Why?"

"Cuz that's when they air the reruns, dummy."

Mitch laughed. "Maybe if you didn't go with General Grey all the time, you could learn something. Sure, you'd be behind on some Spanish, but it's fun, especially when Tiff is there."

"Isn't she supposed to be there?" Adam asked.

"No," Mitch replied. "Sometimes, she's busy and we put on the captions and break apart the words to decipher sentences. There was this one time where Tiff was ridiculously sick and we had to take care of her while watching the shows. Needless to say, it was...interesting."

"Tiff was sick? When? She never gets sick!" Adam exclaimed.

"This was almost four months ago, Adam," Ashley pointed out. "And you were working your ass off that day. We didn't even tell you cuz that would be _another_ thing you'd end up worrying about. Besides, it was a twenty-four hour thing. Nothing too bad."

"Speak for yourself."

The three friends turned around and watched as Tiff joined Adam at the window, a smile on her face.

"That bathroom was never the same," she joked. The other three wrinkled their noses in disgust.

"Ew, Tiff," Ashley groaned. "Just ew."

Tiff laughed. "Like it never happened to you before."

"Well, I don't go telling everyone about it!"

"Girls, really?" Adam frowned.

"Tiff started it!"

"I did. Not even gonna lie."

"I don't think you could," Mitch snickered.

Tiff was about to counter back with a snarky remark when the doors opened again. Jerome slumped into the cafeteria, eyes half closed and his face looking tired.

"Woah, Jerome!" Adam exclaimed, all four teens shocked by his appearance.

"Shut up, shut up," Jerome muttered as he walked next to Tiff, placing his jaw onto the wooden ledge. "'M tired."

"Yeah, we can see that, Fluffy," Ash replied. "Need coffee with that?"

"_Yes_."

Mitch snickered. "I got it," he offered, moving to the coffee maker.

"Jerome Aceti, the caffeine addict," Tiff joked, though she was slightly serious.

Jerome face planted into the polished wood. He held up a thumbs up. "Yup," he replied, voice muffled. "That's me."

Mitch looked at the Bacca with a raised eyebrow. "You sure you're good, dude?"

"Peachy."

"I don't think he's peachy," Adam pointed out.

"Yeah…" Ashley agreed. "He's more furry than fuzzy. Not very appetizing." The four friends stared at her. "What?"

::::TIME LAPSE::::

"When I said we were capable of lifting a tree, I meant a _medium_ sized one. One that's ten feet tall max!" Mitch exclaimed.

"Hey, you said tree, so I'm giving you a tree," Ashley argued.

"This thing won't even fit in the _Lounge_, Ash!"

"We'll make it fit!"

The two bickered good-naturedly back and forth as the other seven team members stared at the gigantic tree in front of them with mixed emotions of shock, horror, amazement, and slight fear. They were going to lift _this?!_

"Ash, we can't just uproot this tree!" Mitch fired back.

"Why not?"

"Cuz it's not only ridiculously big, but it's also a sacred tree!"

"What's so sacred about it?" Ashley questioned.

"This tree is named Hyperion. It's the largest tree in the world!" Mitch explained.

Jason popped up behind Mitch. "Hyperion stands at 379.7 feet tall and was found in 2006. Its founders are Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor. It was remeasured by Steve Sillett with the most trustworthy, yet not very efficient, way possible. He climbed to the top of Hyperion and dropped a tape down from there."

"Thank you, Jason," Mitch said as everyone just stared at the tree.

Ashley was quiet. "Mitch, I wasn't talking about Hyperion. I was talking about the one _next_ to Hyperion."

Jason and Mitch blinked. "What?"

"Oh. Welp. Look at that," Adam said, staring at a six foot tree right next to Hyperion.

"You are such a little-" Mitch cut himself off before he had said something disrespectful.

Ashley blinked in mock innocence. "Huh? I'm sorry? What was that? What were you going to say?"

"Alright, Mitch. Come on. Let's not start anything. Let's just grab the tree and go," Jason soothed, pushing Mitch away from the grinning Techno.

"I'm gonna murder her face, Jay."

"And I'll help you, but we have to do that later."

::::TIME LAPSE::::

"Jay, watch it!"

"Oh shit!"

Crash.

The seven members in the Lounge whipped their heads in the direction of the hallway where distant voices sounded from the basement. Footsteps raced back down the basement stairs. What they had heard did not sound good.

Adam knelt beside Jason, worry dancing in his eyes. "Jesus, Jason! You okay?"

Jason rubbed his head as he sat up. "Yeah, I'm fine, Adam. No worries."

"I _watched_ you fall!"

Jason smirked. "Should've been pretty funny, huh?"

"Jason!"

The Reaper held his hands up in surrender. "Right. I'm sorry."

"God, Jason. You scared me," Adam breathed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Sorry."

A pair of footsteps came running down the stairs and Ty came into view through the dark basement. "You guys okay?"

"Jason just fell down the stairs," Adam answered, helping Jason up.

"God, are you okay?" Ty asked concernedly.

"Yeah, Ty. I'm okay," Jason replied.

"How did you fall?" Ty questioned, reaching over to flick on the basement's light.

Brightness filled the room as Adam replied, "It was too dark and he missed a step."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Jason snickered. He tried to hold back laughter but failed. Adam and Ty stared at the younger teen.

"Jason, how the hell is that funny?" Adam questioned incredulously.

"Y-You have to admit, Adam," Jason started, his chuckles slowly died down. "It was pretty funny."

"You could've seriously hurt yourself!" Ty exclaimed.

"But I didn't," Jason reminded, walking to where the Christmas decorations were held in boxes.

Adam and Ty looked at each other in shock before turning to Jason, who was barely paying attention to them. They just shook their heads before going to help the Reaper.

"I don't understand how you can laugh at that," Adam started, flicking back his head to get his hair out of his face. "That could've been horrible."

"But it wasn't. And besides, maybe it's just my type of humour," Jason answered calmly.

"So you laugh when you injure yourself?" Ty asked.

"Basically."

"So you're a masochist."

"Yup."

"JASON!"

"What's a masochist?" Adam questioned innocently.

"It's a person who likes to inflict pain on themselves," Jason summarized, climbing up the wooden stairs, Adam and Ty following close behind.

"Jason, why?" Adam asked.

"Adam, why not?" Jason mocked. The trio reached the top of the stairs and headed to the Lounge.

"Cuz that hurts you physically and mentally."

"Sucks to suck, huh?"

"We're not finished with this," Ty stated as they reached the Lounge's doorway.

"Okay," Jason replied as they walked into the room.

The tree was set up in the northeast corner of the room where Ashley was placing a large bowl of water underneath the tree. The rest of the team was waiting for the decorations to come up.

Jerome was about to ask what happened when Ashley cried out,

"Ow! You fucking tree!"

The team had to hold their laughs in as Mitch struggled to ask, "You okay?"

"The goddamn tree stabbed me in the eye with a branch!"

"Ow…" Tyler sympathized.

"Thank you!" She slid out of the tree and stood up, covering her eye. "Dammit."

Jason put down his box. "Ashley, let me see so I can make sure it's not infected."

As Ashley walked to the Reaper, Adam whispered to Mitch, "Told you we should've cleaned the tree."

"I will cut your throat," Mitch growled.

Adam pouted. "Rude."

Jason put his hands on the sides of Ashley's face and gently pried her eye open with his thumbs. When he did, he was greeted with the sight of the white part of her eyes blood red, clearly irritated. The team members winced in sympathy and disgust as Jason went unfazed.

"Really, guys?" Jason snickered. "We suffered worse and you're grossed out by this?"

"It's weird to see an eye look bloody!" Jerome argued.

"It's weird to see your arm bent in a way it shouldn't, but I still fixed it for you," the Reaper retorted.

Jerome pouted. "That's not fair. That broken arm hurt like a bitch."

"I'm sure it did. Pain?" Jason asked.

Ashley nodded. "Yeah. A little bit."

"Blindness?"

"No."

Jason smiled and let go of Ashley's eye. It immediately shut again. "All you have to do is put a cool compress on it, and if there's any future pain, I can buy you something for it."

Ashley smiled. "Thanks, Jay. I really appreciate it. Now, let's get this tree decorated."

::::TIME LAPSE::::

"What about this, Ty?!" Tiff squealed, pointing out a tight red dress.

Ty blushed and looked away. "Honestly, Tiff. I seriously cannot be doing this." His nose was red from the cold winter air and his eyes were teary. He was wearing his thin grey coat, suiting his tall figure. He looked down at the pouting female. "I can't picture Ashley in any outfit."

"_Any_ outfit?" Tiff asked sneakily.

"Tiffany!"

Tiff giggled. "Fine. We'll get her something else."

The duo walked out of the clothing store and out into the mall. Ty lugged around several bags from numerous stores as he followed the ecstatic pink-haired girl around the entire shopping center.

'_I really should've dragged Jerome and Mitch with me. It would've been so much funnier with those idiots around to keep me company. Instead, I'm stuck with Tiff and imagining Ashley in tight clothes. I love Tiff, she's an amazing person, but my God…'_

"How about this for Jerome?" Tiff's voice rang out, interrupting Ty's thoughts. He looked over and saw Tiff holding a cooked fish plushie.

Tiff had a devilish look on her face, a look she only wore when she was ready to start pulling pranks or ready to have fun. Fun and pranky Tiff was the best Tiff.

The werewolf smirked. "Get it. Now."

Now she got his attention.

::::TIME LAPSE::::

Tyler pushed on his coat and slipped on his gloves. His scarf was wrapped around his neck, and he was prepared to step into the freezing snow. He sighed and shifted his feet as he waited.

Finally, he called out, "Ash, you almost done?!"

"I can't find my fricking scarf!" The female replied.

"You can have mine, but we have to go now or we'll be late!"

"You sure? It's freezing out there!"

"You need it more than I do or you'll short circuit. Now let's go, chick!"

Ashley rushed down the stairs, and Adam poked his head out from the dining area's doors.

"Where ya guys going?" He asked as Tyler slid off his scarf and began to wrap it around Ashley's neck.

"To the Christmas Eve service at church," Ashley replied before thanking Tyler. She looked back at Adam. "It's a candlelight service. Tyler and I are going together cuz we've always done it since we were kids."

"Oh cool. I would join you but I'm not a fan of all that. Besides, you guys look like you're running late," Adam smiled.

"Yes, we are," Tyler groaned. "_Ashley._"

"Alright, alright. We'll go. See you, Adam!" Ashley dismissed cheerfully.

"Bye, Ashley! Bye, Tyler! Be safe, you two. I want you guys to return alive for Christmas Day." Adam winked.

Tyler snickered. "We will. Bye, Adam."

With that, the two left the base and headed out into the freezing weather. They trudged through the heavy snow, and Ashley had to watch as Tyler shivered while she was warm with her own artificial heat.

She sighed, her breath frozen in the air. "Are you sure you don't want your scarf back?" She asked. "It looks like you really need it."

Tyler smiled shakily. "No. I'm fine. Besides, if I took that from you, you'd freeze and lose power. I don't want you to die _that_ quickly."

Ashley snorted. "Thanks, Tyler," she replied sarcastically. She may be a female but she was older than Tyler, which meant that she had to look out for him too.

She pulled Tyler close to her and picked him up bridal style. His eyes widened and he exclaimed,

"Ash, what the-?!"

She shushed him. "I want to give you some heat. I don't want you to freeze too."

She felt his body begin to tremble in her arms. "Ashley, I'm heavy as hell. Put me down!"

Ashley frowned. "Heavy? Tyler, you weigh nothing!"

"Don't lie to me. You know I weigh a lot. Put me down, Ash," Tyler pleaded, his eyes desperate.

Her eyes widened. "Tyler, calm down. I can carry you. You're not heavy at all. I'm walking and carrying you fine. You're really li-"

"Ashley, please put me down!" Tyler snapped, his voice cracking and his eyes closed.

Ashley pursed her lips before gently placing the taller teen on his feet. Tyler pinched the bridge of his nose and began to walk forward, his thin and tall body shaking with several emotions as the frigid wind blew through his hair.

Ashley sighed quietly and followed behind, deep in thought, trying to piece together what had just happened.

She shook her head in despair. '_God, Tyler. What made you freak out like that? Did you feel like you were too heavy for me? You weighed practically nothing! What were you so worried about?'_

::::TIME LAPSE::::

Tyler and Ashley were standing amongst the other people who gathered in the church for the Christmas Eve service, singing their hearts out to whoever was out there.

Tyler had been quiet the rest of the walk. He felt uncomfortable and insecure. His mind was racing and his heart was beating out of control, but he still managed to sing in church. He didn't know what this song was called, but it really got to him. He watched the lyrics on the huge screen above the stage, eyes widening as the next few lines appeared.

"**And those with scars**

**And those unmarred**

**Are all equal in God's eyes."**

Tyler blinked and glanced over at Ashley in the corner of his eye. She had stopped singing and was standing as still as stone, her eyes wide and face pale.

Had they heard correctly? Did everyone else hear the same thing? That didn't seem right...Ashley and Tyler were covered in more scars than the average person…

They never thought they were equal as the average human, always below humanity's standards, even Tyler who was human himself. It was crazy.

But they were equal to the unmarred creations God had made? Really?

Tyler blinked. It didn't seem natural. They were...accepted? No way. No. Everyone despised supernaturals and those associated with them. That's why they kept their lives secret, but the church accepted them.

What?

::::CHRISTMAS DAY::::

Knock, knock.

Adam raced down the stairs clad in his pajamas, practically flying to the door. He was excited. It was Christmas and he got to see his other friends.

He opened the door, a big smile on his face. "Hey, guys! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!" Jess laughed, an equally large smile on her face as well.

Ross, Jess, Barney, Jin, Max, and Okward stood at the door, bundled up and smiling with large bags in their hands. They had come to spend Christmas with the Team, having not seen the friends in a while.

Adam stepped to the side. "Come in. I'll take you to the kitchen then we can head to the Lounge after breakfast!" The six friends stepped inside the warm base as Adam closed the door behind them.

"I love Halloween!" Max cheered. The others laughed.

"Me too!" Adam gasped dramatically. "It's like we're twins or something, Max!"

Max put his hands to his mouth in false shock. "Oh my God! Totally!"

"Oh my God!" Adam squealed. The males hugged each other before letting go and laughing. "Let's just go."

::::TIME LAPSE::::

"So should we just go in a circle?" Mitch asked.

"Sure," Adam agreed. "Who wants to go first?"

The Team and their six guests were sitting around the Lounge, the Christmas tree in the far right corner of the room. To be good hosts, most of the Team sat on the floor to give their guests comfortable seats despite the protests. It wasn't like the Team minded sitting on the floor. They couldn't care less.

"Let's have the sloth go first," Adam suggested, a smirk on his face.

"I'm a narwhal…" Ross argued quietly.

Barney clapped a hand on the narwhal's back. "One day, Ross. One day."

::::TIME LAPSE::::

Kyle glanced at the brown-haired teen that was knocked out on the Lounge's loveseat. He turned to Mitch. "Now would you look at that? Tyler is knocked the hell out."

Mitch looked over from the book Tiff had gotten him for Christmas, "Demonology and Myths," and snorted. "Wow. He really worked his butt off today, huh?" He replied sarcastically.

"Should I carry him to his room?" Kyle suggested. "Everyone else is knocked out and I don't want to leave him down here."

Mitch nodded."Yeah. Soon we'll be too tired to carry him up so just getting him up as soon as possible is best."

Kyle took a deep breath, ready to lift up the teen, before standing and walking to Tyler. He slid his arms under the male and began to lift the teen off the loveseat.

Tyler's eyes immediately snapped open and he began to shake. "Kyle, put me down," he ordered immediately. "Please. Just put me down."

Mitch looked over, confused. "Tyler, you okay?"

Tyler's body started to tremble even more, obvious to anyone looking. "Kyle, put me down. I'll walk," he whispered, desperate to stand on his own.

"O-Okay?' Kyle stuttered, placing Tyler onto his feet. "Tyler, what's wrong?"

"It doesn't matter," the brown-haired male answered quietly, stepping towards the hallway.

Mitch stood quietly, his book on the couch and his body blocking the exit. "No. It's eleven forty-five at night Christmas day. We're way too tired to put up a fight with you. What's wrong?" Mitch stated quietly and calmly as to not disturb their guests and teammates above them.

"It's just...I'm too heavy to carry like that…" Tyler whispered shamefully.

Mitch and Kyle blinked, staring at each other, speechless. "What?" They asked in unison.

"I don't feel comfortable with people carry me like that…"

"Did you say that you were too heavy?" Mitch questioned.

"Yes. Stop saying it," Tyler pleaded.

"Tyler, you are anything but heavy," Kyle started. "You're not overweight or too large to carry. If anything, you're like a stick!"

Tyler shut his eyes and looked down. "Stop. Stop lying to me."

"We wouldn't do that," Mitch claimed in surprise. "You're underweight. I know that for a fact! You're several pounds underweight and it scares the hell out of us! The _last_ thing you are is heavy."

The three males were interrupted by a Demon Bird, a Reaper, and a werewolf walking into the Lounge.

Adam asked, yawning, "What's going on down here?"

"Tyler is unhappy," Kyle said immediately.

"With what?" Jason questioned, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Himself."

Adam smiled and placed his hands on Tyler's shoulders. "The six of us will talk tomorrow. Until then, it's late at night and we all need to sleep. So let's shut it down and head off to bed, okay? It's Christmas. Be merry, not somber."

**And that was the rocky ending to my Christmas chapter. Thank you all so much for reading and maybe I'll do an expanding chapter on Tyler's insecurity. No, I'll definitely do that. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, guys! Until then, be safe, take, love you, God bless, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**


	17. Unhappy

**Unhappy**

Mitch, Ty, Jason, and Kyle waited in the Lounge for Adam to bring down Tyler. It was December twenty-sixth, the day after Christmas. The night before, Tyler had freaked out over Kyle carrying him, saying that he was too heavy. Now Adam wanted the six of them to talk about it, to show Tyler it was okay.

"I feel kinda bad for him," Kyle muttered. "I know he hates it when we say that but…" He trailed off.

"Yeah," Ty agreed. "He's gone through a lot, and he can't even tell us. Therefore, we don't even know what triggers his thoughts half the time."

"I don't mind it though," Mitch sighed. "I'd do anything for Tyler. Stating my opinion of him is easy compared to what I would physically do for him."

"Like?" Kyle questioned, closing his eyes.

"I'd kill myself for the kid," Mitch stated calmly. "I would for any of you."

There was silence for a little while, not talking. However, without them knowing, there was an argument upstairs.

"Tyler!" Adam called, knocking on the teen's door. "We're going downstairs now."

"Adam, go away," The teen replied, his voice muffled and quiet.

"Tyler, I will personally go in there and drag you downstairs myself," Adam threatened, baring his teeth in annoyance, even though Tyler couldn't see him.

"Adam, no." Tyler stated. "I'm not going."

"Tyler. Stop. We're going."

"Adam, I swear to God if you come in…" He trailed off, leaving the threat to Adam's imagination.

Adam opened Tyler's door without permission and glared at the teen, who was sitting on his bed by the window.

Unlike Adam's room where the bed was pushed to the wall and in the middle, Tyler's bed was in the back and on the right, below his long window. The teen was looking out the window, one knee pulled to his chest and the other leg lying flat in a triangle shape. His right arm supported his weight and his left arm rested on his propped up knee. When Tyler looked at Adam, the vampire saw bags under the human's eyes.

"Why are you in here?" Tyler growled tiredly, clearly not in the mood to argue.

"Last night, on _Christmas_, you were very clearly upset with something, and Kyle even told us that you were upset with yourself. Don't tell me you're okay because you're _not_."

Tyler gritted his teeth and looked out his window again. "I didn't say I was okay, Adam," he snarled. "I asked why you were here."

Adam's eye began to twitch. "I'm here because I _care_, Tyler! Why else?"

"I. Don't. Know. Adam, why are you so concerned?!"

Adam closed the door so the other team members wouldn't have to hear the argument as much. "Because you looked torn apart last night! You looked broken!"

Tyler's head whipped toward his 'friend.' "'_Broken?' _What, am I some kind of _toy_ to you?"

"Why are you so upset today?!" Adam questioned, trying to calm down and not raise his voice. "Why are you acting so ridiculous?!"

Adam could see Tyler start to get aggravated and...desperate? "Why?! Why can't you just leave me alone?! Why do you have to fight me with this?! Just go!"

"Why can't you just answer me?!" Adam interrogated, tired of the constant questioning and lack of answers. "Why are you so dead set on being alone?!"

Through the look in Tyler's eyes, he could see that he went too far. Tyler's body began to shake. "I've always been alone! I'm used to it! It's all I know! So why?! Why are you having so much trouble accepting this?!"

Adam's heart broke, knowing it was going to tear them both apart when he said this. "Because I watched you fall from the top of a jungle tree. I watched you cry in front of your father's grave. I watched you fall apart under stress. And I _continue_ to watch you destroy yourself because you feel that asking for help will make us think less of you! It hurts us, too! We love you, dammit! Why can't you see that?! We hate watching you die! Why won't you let us help you?!"

Tyler pursed his lips tightly. "Just...leave me alone, Adam," he muttered, opening his window. "I'll be back before night." With that, Tyler hopped out of the window and landed on the ground, standing and walking into the forest alone.

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, closing his eyes. '_I was way too harsh on him. I should have calmed down. Why did I yell like that? Who the hell do I think I am? I had no right to just...God...Tyler...Why was he so upset today? Why was I so angry? What happened to us both? We're normally so patient...So, why did we explode like that?'_

Adam shook his head and left the room, closing the door again behind him. He stood outside for a minute and was about to head to the Lounge when Jason walked up the stairs.

The Reaper saw the distressed Adam and raised an eyebrow. "Adam?"

Adam looked over to where Jason was heading towards him. "Hey, Jason. What's up?"

"We were waiting downstairs for you…" Jason replied slowly. "What happened?" Adam stood quiet. "You two fought, didn't you?"

Adam nodded his head. "Yeah. We did. I don't know _why_ I lost my temper so quickly. I just…" He trailed off and placed his hands over his face.

Jason placed a hand on Adam's shoulder. "Where did he go?"

Adam removed his hands. "Into the forest…" Adam's eyes widened almost immediately. "The Count isn't there. He's in there _alone_."

Jason's eyes widened and soon, they were bolting out of the base, leaving everyone behind without a word. Luckily for them, Mitch was smart and left as well, determined to keep them out of trouble from any potential danger.

"What the hell happened?" Mitch asked, racing alongside Jason.

"There was an argument and Tyler left into the forest," Jason answered quickly, trying to save his breath for running. It was never a good idea to talk and sprint.

"Oh, great," Mitch sighed. "He probably strayed off the path! And if he has…" Mitch's eyes widened in realization.

"Mitch?" Adam panicked. "Mitch, what's wrong?"

Mitch's head turned to Jason. "Jason, what moon is it tonight?"

"New moon. Why?" Jason questioned.

Mitch took in a sharp breath and turned forward. Under his breath, he muttered, "Nacht der Untoten…"

"What?" Adam asked. "Mitch, what's going on?!"

"If we don't get to Tyler by nightfall…" Mitch closed his eyes for a second before opening them again and looked at the nervous duo, face grim. "We _will_ find him dead."

::::TIME LAPSE::::

"Tyler! Tyler!" Adam and Jason called out, yelling as a last resort. "Tyler, where are you?!" As Jason and Adam yelled, Mitch was looking at the quickly darkening sky nervously, mind racing.

'_If we can't find him, he'll die. But if we do find him, we won't get back home in time and we'll all die. It's almost night and we have no chance of finding him in this dark forest! Adam said he'd be home before night and called Ty a little while ago to check if Tyler had told the truth...Ty said no but that'd he let us know as soon as possible. But wait...Did I tell him to keep everyone inside?! Shit, shit, shit! No. Ty would know, right? We have it under control. He wouldn't send anyone out...right?'_

Mitch paced back and forth, one hand on his side and one over his mouth, eyes closed in concentration.

'_Deep breaths, Mitch. Deep breaths. Out of all the days The Count had to leave to Myst, it had to be today! There's only person who can find Tyler before nightfall...No...No, no, no, no, no! I couldn't! I CAN'T! I can't look at him! I can barely even __**think**_ _about him! How could I ask him for help?! But what was it that I had said this morning? That I'd die for Tyler? This shouldn't be too bad then. Seeing him face to face again is just like dying. Just more painful, brutal, terrifying...traumatizing.' _Mitch groaned out loud, catching Adam and Jason's attention, worried looks on their faces.

"Mitch, are you okay?" Adam asked concernedly.

Mitch held his stomach. Just the sheer thought of the person he had to see made him sick. As a matter of fact…

Mitch stumbled over to a tree and began to vomit violently behind it. Adam and Jason rushed over, ready to help Mitch move if they needed to. Thank God they got there when they did because Mitch's legs gave out from underneath him and he almost fell into his own bile. Mitch's weight crashed into Jason's arms, the sudden burden almost causing the smaller teen to fall back.

Adam rubbed Mitch's back as he vomited onto the grass. Jason, even though he helped Mitch in medical procedures, had a weak stomach and had to turn away from the sickly sight.

When Mitch stopped throwing up, Adam caringly wiped the vomit off Mitch's mouth and cleaned it off on his pants. Mitch had his head bowed so the two males couldn't see his face, but they could see his body shaking. Jason pulled Mitch to his chest and only then was his face visible.

Tears were streaming down Mitch's face and his beautiful mocha brown eyes were glazed over and glassy. He was trembling and his breathing was labored. Mitch knew he was wasting precious time, but he couldn't do it.

No.

He could.

He didn't want to.

He was _pathetic_. He was stupid. An idiot. Weak. A burden. Worthless. Jason was supporting him and keeping him from falling into his own bile for goodness sake! What kind of elite soldier was he?!

"Adam, Jason, I'm sorry," Mitch whispered shamefully.

Adam raised his eyebrows in surprise. "For?"

"I wasted time, and I still am…"

Jason chuckled. "Mitch, it's okay. Even if you didn't get sick, Adam and I would still probably be calling for Tyler."

Mitch shuddered. "I have an idea to get Tyler back, but…"

"But what?" Adam exclaimed, new hope in his heart. "Mitch, if it can help find Tyler, then it can't possibly be bad, can it?"

Mitch hesitated, contemplating whether or not he should tell Adam and Jason. Deciding not to, he smiled. "Right." He attempted to stand on his own, but he almost fell again and Adam caught him.

The older smiled. "Let me help you. It doesn't look like you can walk on your own right now."

Mitch nodded. "Are you sure, Adam?"

"Yeah, of course." Adam gently slid his arm around Mitch and supported his weight. He looked around. "So where are we going?"

Mitch closed his eyes, trying to remember the maps he had studied for so long. "Just keep walking forward. I'll lead you from there."

::::TIME LAPSE::::

"Mitch, this is just a small birch house," Adam stated, staring at the small home in front of them.

"Don't underestimate the person who lives here. Below us is a series of tunnels and labs," Mitch muttered, who was now standing on his own.

"Right. Sorry. Now what?"

Mitch began to contemplate this decision once again. They could be looking for Tyler right now. Instead, they were _here_.

'_Remember, Mitch. Nacht der Untoten. If you don't find Tyler before nightfall, you will never see the kid again. This is for his own good, not yours. You don't matter right now. Only Tyler, Adam, and Jason.'_

"I want you guys to stay here." Mitch ordered firmly. "I know I can't stop you, Adam, from listening in, but I sure as hell don't want you to be near this guy, okay? You are not to leave this spot no matter what."

"Mitch, who is this?" Jason questioned. "And why are you so afraid?"

Mitch didn't answer and just walked forward to the house, hesitantly approaching the stairs. He rang the doorbell once then took a step back, dreading the sight of the man who would open the door, half hoping he wouldn't be home.

But those dreams were crushed instantly when a grey-haired man opened the door.

The male was in his forties. He was quite handsome for his age with a strong jaw and light blue eyes. He had a tall and thin figure like Mitch, but he had muscles that showed his strength. He had an army style haircut, and his expression showed he was ready for combat. When he saw Mitch in front of him, he bit his lip slightly and looked the teen up and down very slowly.

Even from a distance of almost hundred-fifty feet away, Adam and Jason were getting bad vibes about the guy. They did not like the way he was staring at Mitch, as if their teammate was his next meal. They began to twitch, ready to pull Mitch away if they needed to.

Before a word was spoken, the man pulled Mitch into a hug, his strong grip not allowing Mitch to pull away. Mitch froze, the embrace so familiar. He hated it. He felt one of the man's hands slide down his back, pausing just above his hip, a little too far down for comfort. The other hand was in Mitch's soft hair, gently playing with it. The man's mouth was near Mitch's neck, his breath on Mitch's skin. Mitch felt violated and wanted to leave, but he couldn't, even if he wanted to.

And he really, really did want to.

Adam growled softly at the sight of the inappropriate embrace while Jason took in a sharp intake of air. The man was holding Mitch in a disturbing way, a pose that Adam and Jason wanted to move, but they couldn't interfere with it, like Mitch had said.

Mitch couldn't speak as the hand on his hip slid to his left and began to move downward again. The man moved his hand down and down and onto the middle of Mitch's thigh. Mitch shuddered, but the man didn't care. The male pulled Mitch closer to him and whispered,

"It's nice to hold you again...Mitchell." His whisper was soft, and even though his grip on Mitch was tight, it was gentle as well. The whisper held affection and love, but it was the affection that shouldn't be aimed from an adult to a teenager.

Adam's eyes widened and he began to shake as

he quietly relayed the words to Jason. '_Who is this man?'_ Adam thought angrily. '_Why is he holding Mitch like that? This feels so...wrong! Why are we here? Is this really the man Mitch believed could help us? Because he seems like he wants to help Mitch in the way that will get him arrested. And broken senseless by Team Unknown, of course. But why didn't Mitch tell us? I guess I was a bit jumpy when I heard that he had a way to find Tyler, but he really could've said something! I mean- WHAT DID THAT MAN JUST SAY?'_

"I love you, Mitchell. Come back to me. I would love to have you back," the man sighed, his breath on Mitch's skin. Those words sent several shivers down Mitch's spine, and the teen could feel the man smile.

"Say my name, Mitchell. Say it one last time and I will do whatever you want. I'd do anything for you."

'_I don't want this. I don't want you!'_ Mitch thought, pleading for help in his mind. '_Adam! Jason! Help me please! I can't be here with this man! I can't! I know I told you not to come near, but, please, I beg of you! Save me from this monster! I'm terrified! I know I try to act strong in front of you all, but this is one man I cannot hide from! So, please, just save me from him!' _Mitch's heart began to race fast against his chest, and, yet, the man found that amusing.

"So you do miss me?" The man smiled, mouth centimeters away from Mitch's neck.

'_No! I don't! Get away!'_

"You want to come back to me after leaving for that Bacca."

'_No! I'm much happier with the Team! I don't want to come back!'_

"I told you you would come crawling back to me for help."

'_...That's true...You did…But that doesn't mean I want to stay!'_

"I know you visit me every year."

'_...I do…But I don't want to come back! ...I don't…'_

"You want to come back to me."

'_...I do…'_

"You miss me. Don't deny the truth."

'_...I miss you…'_

"John."

The name slipped out of Mitch's mouth in one short gasp, and he regretted it as soon as he realized he said it.

John smiled wider against Mitch. "I'm here for you, Mitchell," he whispered yearningly. He moved closer to Mitch's neck and planted a long, gentle kiss. Mitch tensed from the touch, but he began to relax. He hated this...He hated this...He hated this!

He missed this…

'_No! No! John! What are you doing?! I never missed this! You took everything from me! ...Everything…'_

John moved away from Mitch and hesitantly let go. But not before grazing his fingers against Mitch's hip lightly. His eyes were soft and full of love.

"Now, what is it that you need me for?"

Mitch swallowed thickly, gathering his nerves, preparing to speak to this man he's feared for so long.

'_For Tyler. For Tyler.'_

"It's Nacht der Untoten today," Mitch muttered softly. "Someone is stuck in the forest, but we can't find him. I need your help."

John thought for a moment. "Right. Nacht der Untoten. The German translation of Night of the Living Dead. Well, if this person is stuck in the forest, we only have a few hours to find them. Do you have an article of clothing or anything from this person?"

Mitch reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a bracelet of Tyler's. "Here." Mitch dropped the bracelet into John's hand and took a couple steps back.

John whistled loudly and two large hounds landed on the roof of his house. The hounds had large sabertooth fangs and fur as dark as the night sky and shadows. Their eyes were a golden yellow and filled with determination and anger. They were John's hunter dogs...They used to be Mitch's.

"Are they still…?" Mitch trailed off.

John smiled. "Yup. Tooth! Claw!"

The two wolfhounds jumped from the roof to the stairs, eyes locking onto Mitch. As soon as they recognized the unafraid teen, their eyes showed happiness and the large hounds tackled Mitch to floor, licking him and barking.

"Alright, you two. Let Mitchell up!" John ordered sternly, and the two dogs backed off. John held out the bracelet to the dogs and allowed them to sniff it. The hounds sniffed the air for a moment before growling towards the east, opposite of where Adam and Jason were.

"They've found him," John said, looking at Mitch.

"Go ahead. I'll catch up."

"Will you be able to find us?" John smirked.

"I can always find my target."

"You couldn't find your friend."

Mitch's mouth thinned. "He's not my target."

John raised an eyebrow before grinning. "Right. I got you. Find me if you can, Mitchell." The hunter raced off into the trees, following his wolfhounds into the darkness.

"It's Mitch," the teen sighed.

When they were sure John was gone, Adam and Jason sprinted to Mitch, worry and concern on their faces.

"What the _hell_ was that?!" Adam snarled, pissed at what he just witnessed. That man, John, had just _violated_ Mitch. Never had he seen someone with the courage to touch the hunter like that, or touch him at all!

Jason's patience was gone. He was just as upset as Adam. As he had listened to Adam relay everything being said, he had felt his anger rise, and the view he was forced to look at disgusted him. "_Who was he?_" Jason growled, ready to attack that man.

"That's John," Mitch murmured.

"Why was he touching you like that?!" Adam interrogated angrily.

At this, Mitch stiffened. So they _had_ noticed how John was feeling him. Well, he supposed it was pretty obvious. He didn't feel comfortable answering. He didn't feel comfortable with the fact that his friends had seen him being taken advantage of.

Thankfully, Jason placed a calm hand on Adam's shoulder. "Relax, Adam. I don't think Mitch wants to talk about it right now. For the time being, we better catch up with John." He turned to Mitch. "You said you could find him?"

Mitch nodded, his face grim. He was ready for a hunt. "I always find my target."

"That's right," Jason remembered. "You said you always find your target, but you couldn't find Tyler. What happened?"

At this, Mitch's eyes widened in realization. "It's John."

"What?" Adam asked.

"John's leading Nacht der Untoten!" Mitch exclaimed, pacing back and forth in thought. "That sly bastard!"

"Mitch, what's going on?" Jason questioned.

"Nacht der Untoten is a night only real hunters know about. It's German for Night of the Living Dead. A German man named Michaelis Knuckles created a night where the rotting corpses of the earth rose from the ground and infected anyone around them. In other words," Mitch paused. "The zombie apocalypse in one night."

"Wait, what?!" Adam exclaimed. "How come we never heard of this?"

"I honestly forgot," Mitch replied shamefully, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down. "Besides, it hasn't happened in years."

"So how do you know it's John?" Jason asked. "And how do you know it's tonight? Why hasn't it happened before?"

"Great questions." Mitch smiled awkwardly. "Well, Michaelis died centuries ago, but his soul never did. As a matter of fact, his soul was trapped in the body of a young girl on the moon. True story so don't look at me like that. Anyway, John left to the moon and came back a few days later with different colored eyes, yellow to be exact. After a few days, his eyes went back to its normal brown. For years after, John had acted strange. On random days, he would twitch often or lock himself in his room. Nacht der Untoten can only be summoned on one day...December twenty-sixth. Now only the possessor of Michaelis's soul can commit this crime, so the only likely person is-"

"John," Jason and Adam guessed grimly.

Mitch nodded sharply. "Exactly. But John is a great hunter. He's actually seventh best. My skills could never equal up to his. Therefore, he planned this. He must have dosed the forest…" Mitch's eyes lit up. "He dosed the forest!"

"Mitch, you're losing me so fast," Adam deadpanned.

"Listen, John is powerful, dangerous, resourceful, and intelligent. He knows many things beyond your comprehension. Remember when I told you about the labs underneath us? They aren't regular labs! They're _hunter_ labs, meaning down there isn't just for science experiments for high schoolers! No, there's magic, science, witchcraft...You name it, it's down there. Years back, John manipulated someone into creating a mist that can spread long distances and make supernaturals useless, making them much easier to capture or kill. Not only that but it damages a human's ability to think, smell, see, hear, anything! Therefore, even if he wanted to, Tyler can't get home and I can't find him!"

"But then how can the wolfhounds and John find Tyler then?" Jason questioned.

Mitch growled. "Because he tested on the animals and made them invulnerable to any of his experiments. They're immune to the mist. As for John..." Mitch closed his eyes. "He has the antitoxin."

"What is your history with this guy?" Adam asked. "How do you know so much about him?"

Mitch opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow. "How do you not? He's known across the world for his skills. As for history, I don't have much. It's...complicated."

"I don't believe that," Jason said bluntly. "No person would just touch another like that if they didn't have history."

Mitch swallowed. "It's difficult. Let's just go."

"But your hunting skills are damaged," Adam sighed, exasperated. "How are you going to find him?"

"He left a trail, Adam," Mitch pointed out, gesturing to the footprints in the dirt. "He clearly did that on purpose. Anyways, let's go."

::::TIME LAPSE::::

"Adam, watch it!" Jason warned, grabbing Adam's hand and pulling him away from a rotted hand sticking out of the ground.

Mitch's eyes widened and his gaze shot up to the sky. "It's begun." He looked down at the terrified duo. "Let's go. I'll get us out of here safely. Run!"

Adam and Jason nodded and the three sprinted off, leaping into the safety of the trees. They jumped from branch to branch, watching as zombies rose out of the ground.

The zombies were scabbed and dirty, blood and pus oozing out of their open wounds. Their eyes were yellow and their reddish brown skin nearly camouflaged them in the dark. Their clothes were tattered and torn, and their hair was falling out. Loud moans and groans sounded everywhere. Whenever a zombie rose out from the ground, they would stand there, slouched over, and their head would swivel around for a few seconds, trying to get a lock on their prey. Then they would sprint to the trees Adam, Jason, and Mitch were moving through, following them from the ground.

"Damn! These things are fast!" Mitch growled in annoyance.

"That's what you're worried about?!" Adam exclaimed incredulously. "Not the fact that there are _zombies_ chasing us?!"

"The only thing I'm concerned about is that they're covering up John's tracks!" Mitch yelled. "Call Ty now! Tell him to lock down the forest! We do not want these things to get into the city! Lives will be slaughtered and there will be a bigger horde to deal with!"

Adam sighed before pulling out his phone and calling Ty. The phone only rang once before Ty picked up, out of breath. "Ty?"

"Adam, what the hell is going on?!" The werewolf gasped. A loud creak sounded in the background, sounded by a large crash and scream.

"Jess! Ross!" Adam heard Ashley yell.

"You guys are being attacked, too?" Adam questioned.

"Yeah! By zombies! And not the normal ones! We're defending the city, but there's not enough of us! Where are you four?!"

"Ty, we encountered some things we wish we hadn't it. We're so delayed, it's ridiculous. We haven't even found Tyler yet!"

"Adam, there's no way he's alive. He's gotta be dead."

"Ty!" Adam yelled. "What the hell?!"

"Adam, face it! He doesn't stand a chance like Mitch did with the Alayliths!" At this, Mitch tensed up in front of Adam, intently listening. "And yet, you were the _practical_ one that said the best bet was that Mitch was dead!"

"Well, he's alive, isn't he?" Adam snapped back.

"But is Tyler? Was he even armed when he left? Was his mind even clear? Was he thinking straight? I don't think he was!"

"We have a hunter after him!"

"You have a what?! What is wrong with you?! A hunter? We have bounties over our goddamn heads and this is what you do?!" Ty was furious, and Adam knew he had every right to be. But now was not the time. Kroak City was in danger and so was Tyler. Not only that, but Adam, Mitch, and Jason were being chased by quick zombies.

"Give me the phone, Adam," Mitch ordered, dropping next to the teen. He took the phone and put it to his ear. "Ty."

"Mitch?"

"Yeah," Mitch sighed. "Do you have the border of the city covered?"

"We're trying, but we're down four people and protecting six others plus an entire city. We won't last long!"

"Where's the military?"

"Blasting their way through the freaking forest. I'm concerned about Grey. He doesn't move as fast anymore."

Mitch's hands began to shake. His eyes were still fiercely scouring the ground, most of his attention on John's tracks. "So you've noticed, too, huh?" He asked, watching as the footprints turned to left. He hopped to the tree next to him and continued to follow the tracks.

"Yeah. Hold on one sec."

"Ty!" Mitch heard Tiff scream. A loud crash was heard, and after a few painstaking seconds, Ty's voice returned.

"That...nearly killed me...Okay."

"Ty, you okay?"

"Yeah. Was nearly killed by a falling tree, but other than that, I'm just peachy."

"I'm gonna let you go, Ty, so you can focus, okay? Just lock down the forest and keep the city safe, okay?"

"Understood. Good luck, Mitch."

"Same to you."

Mitch hung up the phone and tossed it back to Adam, who nearly dropped it. "We gotta move quicker or who knows what'll happen to everyone else."

::::TIME LAPSE::::

Mitch spotted John and the two wolf hounds before Adam did. At John's feet was an unconscious Tyler. Mitch's heart skipped a beat as he watched John shoot down the zombies one by one with his own sniper rifle. Meanwhile, Tooth and Claw were ripping apart the zombies themselves.

"So, Mitchell," John called without looking at the teen. "Are you gonna help me or what?"

Mitch pursed his lips and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath before opening his eyes once more and pulling out a magazine of dark green bullets. He slammed it into his Ruger LC9 angrily and turned to Jason and Adam. "Stay here."

Adam grabbed his arm and whispered, "Does he know we're here?"

"Of course he does. He's been aware of you since we've arrived at his house. I just don't want you near him. I'll explain later. Just stay in the trees where you'll be safe."

"Will you be fine?" Jason questioned worriedly.

"I may be uncomfortable around John," Mitch whispered. "But I know he has my back. I also have Tooth and Claw. It'll be okay, I promise. We'll all come out safe in this, even Tyler and the rest of the team."

With that, Mitch hopped out of the tree and landed behind John. He began unloading his ammo into the heads of the zombies around them, one-shotting every single one. Behind him, John smirked.

"Only have your little pistol with you, do you?"

"Yes."

"So you're not prepared. That magazine is gonna run out and then what, Mitchell?"

Mitch stopped suddenly, a smirk slowly growing on his face. A small chuckle escaped him that could just barely be heard over the zombie groans. "You keep calling me Mitchell. Truth is, I'm not that kind of person anymore. Even though MItchell was smarter than me, much smarter, I learned from him. Something about killing the leader of Nacht der Untoten stops the zombie apocalypse." Adam and Jason caught a mad glint in Mitch's eyes.

John stiffened. "What?!" He whirled around to face Mitch, only to find the barrel of a gun pressed against his forehead.

"Now, I'm strictly against killing humans, especially when I'm in the middle of a battlefield with wolfhounds protecting me, but after what you did to me…" Mitch snarled. "I can make an exception."

John growled and pressed the barrel of his gun to Mitch's heart. "I don't want to kill you."

"No...You want to use me as your fucking toy again!" Mitch screamed, his voice full of pain and desperation laced in with anger.

"You were never my toy! You were my apprentice! My partner!" John argued, his voice filled with desperation as well.

Mitch began to tremble violently. "One bullet left in the chamber. Point blank range. There's no way I can miss."

"Four bullets left in the chamber. Point blank range. No was I can miss. You're not the only one who counts his bullets." John sighed. "I don't want to-"

Bang.

Blood and brain matter flew from the hole in the back of John's head. A red hole was obvious in the middle of the hunter's tan forehead. The male slowly fell backwards and onto the ground next to Tyler, his life leaving him quickly.

The zombies around them stood still, confused, their heads twitching and shaking as they looked around. Suddenly, they all lit on fire and ran around, moaning and screeching in pain before slumping dead on the ground.

Mitch's hand was still in the same position with the gun still held up. "Damn you to Hell, John. Damn you," he whispered as the zombies fell around him. Tooth and Claw ran up to the teen, panting happily and disregarding their past master's corpse completely. He put down his gun on the ground and pet the two wolfhounds. "Hey, Tooth. Hey, Claw." Adam and Jason hopped down from the tree and slowly approached Mitch.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Mitch said, his voice full of resignation. "I'm out of bullets anyway."

It wasn't reassuring whatsoever, but the duo took it as it was. Adam approached Tyler's unconscious, carefully avoiding John's body, and knelt down. His face was sad and filled with regret.

"Mitch, how did you kill him with rounds for the undead?" Jason asked quietly.

Mitch sighed before falling back to rest on his bottom instead of crouching. The hounds whimpered when he stopped petting them but laid down anyway. "Zombies were once human. I just had them colored, so I can deceive myself into thinking that I don't have the power to kill a human."

"You said you two didn't have any history," Adam recalled. "That was a lie, wasn't it?"

Mitch stay quiet, and Jason sighed. "Just tell us when you're ready. We're patient."

Mitch nodded. "Yeah. Thanks." He stood. "Tooth, Claw, let's go."

::::TIME LAPSE::::

The team met up at the base an hour later. In Ty and Jerome's arms were Ross and Jess respectively. The two had both been knocked unconscious by falling debris. Mitch had immediately taken the two to the med bay to make sure there were no concussions or brain injury.

Meanwhile, Adam had taken Tyler to the younger's room and placed him on the bed. He pulled up the chair from Tyler's desk and quietly waited for the teen to wake up. It didn't take long, and the teen's eyes slowly opened.

Tyler moaned slightly as he shifted and saw Adam next to him. "Oh…"

Adam smiled sadly and looked down, letting out a small chuckle. "Yeah. Not too happy to see me sitting next to you, huh? You'd much rather see anyone else but me right now. I just wanted to see if you-"

He was cut off as Tyler launched himself into Adam's arms. "Shut up, Adam," he whispered, his arms wrapping around the demon bird's neck. "I'm so sorry."

Adam slowly wrapped his arms around Tyler. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have pushed you like that. And watching leave into that forest unarmed and at the fingertips of the undead, I thought about you dying alone and thinking I hated you. God, you scared me."

"Adam, I'm so sorry," Tyler cried.

"Sh. It's okay. I'm sorry, too. I'm sorry."

**And that was my late chapter. New Year's chapter is on the way soon. Until then, be safe, take care, God bless, love you, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**


	18. The End to Our Sins

**Happy New Years, my Mortem Venators! I have looking forward to the end of 2015 and the start of 2016 for **_**months**_**. I have big plans for you all this year, so I hope you guys will stick around to watch me grow. For now, I hope you enjoy this chapter. R&amp;R!**

**An End to Our Sins**

Jerome knocked on Mitch's door, biting his lip and praying the teen will open the door. For five days, Mitch hadn't left his room for anything, not even food. He had his own bathroom, so he didn't even have to leave for that.

No one had even heard a sound from the room, leading them to believe he was either dead or he had left the base. Whatever it was, they hadn't dared to intrude in fear of their lives and in respect for Mitch's privacy.

Adam and Jason hadn't spoken about what had happened during the search for Tyler, only saying that they had hired a hunter that had died during the zombie attack.

Jess and Ross were better now, and the six guests were very quiet afterwards. Adam had pulled them aside and had apologized over and over again, claiming that it wouldn't happen again. It was then that Okward had asked what they were. Adam had no choice to explain that they were supernaturals, demons, and monsters that were gathered together to be an unstoppable elite squad made to protect the world from other monsters. It was hard to process and Jerome didn't blame them. It sounded ridiculous when they explained it to others.

Now Jerome was at Mitch's door, desperately pleading in silence for his friend to open the door. To his dismay, there was no response. He knocked again. "Mitch, please. Let me in. We need to know if you're okay. _I_ need to know if you're okay. Please, just open the door or I'll open it myself."

There was silence for a second before Jerome heard shuffling. The door slowly opened, but Mitch had purposely hid behind it. Jerome slipped in, and the teen shut it again. One look at Mitch's face told Jerome all he needed to know.

There were dark circles under Mitch's eyes, and his skin was a ghostly pale. His shoulders were hunched over, and his eyes were teary. His room smelled clean and Mitch himself smelled clean as if he washed himself for hours...Did he?

"Mitch, is everything okay?" Jerome asked hesitantly.

Mitch nodded and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. "Yeah. Just tired."

"So then go to sleep."

Mitch shook his head slowly and sighed. He moved his hand back to his side. "No. I can't."

Jerome stared on in confusion. "Why not?"

Mitch pointed to his polished oak desk in the northeast corner of his room, under his long window. The desk's computer was pointing toward the wall, and the chair was facing the door. There was a plethora of papers and folders stacked in neat piles around the computer.

Jerome's jaw dropped. "What the hell is all that?"

"Some work for General Grey and something I'm making for the rest of you. It's a lot, but it's getting done."

"Mitch, it's New Years' Eve, and you'll probably knock out before twelve," Jerome sighed. "Just try to sleep now and come down later, so we can enjoy the new year together as a team."

Mitch looked away. "I can't."

"You can't what?"

"I can't sleep…"

Jerome pursed his lips. "What happened to you the other day?"

"I...I couldn't find Tyler for the life of me. I just couldn't. None of us could. The only thing I could think of was to hire a hunter."

"But, Mitch, you are a hunter," Jerome said slowly, borderline confused.

Mitch looked at him with sad and ashamed eyes. "Not just any hunter...John. John Agro."

Jerome's eyes flashed with anger and low growl escaped his throat and through bared teeth. Mitch's hand instinctively moved to his hip in milliseconds, ready to grab his trusty Ruger. The two stood quiet for a moment, waiting to see who moved first.

Jerome didn't mean to sound feral and waited to see if Mitch would actually take out his gun and pull the trigger. If he began to, Jerome would have no choice but to attack. He really didn't want to have to do that.

Mitch didn't want to have to shoot Jerome, but he knew Baccas were unpredictable, no matter how close the bond. Mitch wouldn't hesitate to place a bullet through Jerome's head, and they both knew that, yet their friendship seemed to move around that anyway.

It took a few minutes until Jerome backed down. Mitch's hand lingered over his gun for a few seconds longer before finally dropping his hand. Jerome snorted, angry at what just occurred.

"Right. Get some sleep for New Years'. We better see you downstairs later, Mitchell." Jerome placed his paw and was about to turn it when Mitch spoke.

"You know it's Mitch." He said coldly.

"You know Mitch and Mitchell are the same person." Jerome retorted darkly. With that, he left the room and closed the door behind him, knowing it was unnecessary to slam it.

Jerome left downstairs and took a couple of deep breaths to regain his composure before heading into the Lounge. The team was casually talking and joking around as usual, but their guests were quiet and reserved.

"How's Mitch?" Adam asked when Jerome walked in.

Jerome waved his hand. "Being Mitch as usual. He'll be down later." The team knew that that meant the two got in an argument and kept their mouths shut about it.

"Oh cool," Tiff said. "Anyway, Tyler has a surprise for us for New Years'!

Jerome looked at the teen. "Oh?"

Tyler nodded, a smile on his face. "Yup! So I'm kicking you all out of the house until I call you all back. And I guess Mitch can stay."

"Wait, wait, wait. You did not mention the whole kicking us out of our own house thing!" Adam exclaimed.

"Oops. Oh well. Bye guys!"

"We're not going anywhere!" Ashley argued. "I wanna chill for a while!"

Tyler's eyes flashed with a demonic sense of mischief. "Oh?"

::::TIME LAPSE::::

"How...did…?" Adam asked, blinking and shivering.

"How did a _human_ kick us out of our home?" Ty questioned, just as stunned and cold.

The seven members of Team Unknown that were outside the base had surrendered their jackets to their guests, minus Ashley who could die quicker than the rest of them from the cold.

"I don't know, but I'm not messing with Tyler again," Ashley stated, hands up in surrender.

"I don't even remember what happened," Tiff chuckled.

"Nope. But let's go to a café or something until Tyler calls us back so we don't freeze," Jerome suggested. The others nodded and they began to head towards Kroak City.

::::TIME LAPSE::::

Mitch descended the stairs slowly, hearing only one person in the base, possibly two. No. Definitely one. But who was it?

Mitch carefully approached the Lounge and peered through the doorway. He saw Tylee standing on a ladder, pinning blue and black tinsel around the top corners and sides of the ceiling. Blue and black decorations were everywhere, ranging from balloons to tinsel to party utensils. Tyler had also hung up several posters of New Craft City landscapes on every wall. He even had a night sky poster covering the ceiling.

Mitch was too busy enjoying the scenery, he almost missed the swaying of the ladder. Almost. Tyler let out a yelp as he fell from the falling ladder. Mitch just barely made it in time and caught the teen bridal style. If he hadn't caught him, Tyler's head would've crashed through the coffee table and hit the metal rod underneath. That would've been a disaster in its own.

"Oh! Thanks, Mitch!" Tyler breathed as Mitch gently set him down.

Mitch scanned him up and down concernedly. "You okay?" He questioned.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks."

"No problem. Just be careful. Where are the others?"

"I kicked them out of the house. I wanted this to be a surprise." Tyler gestured around the room. "What do you think?"

Mitch gazed around the Lounge once more. "I honestly feel like I'm all the way in New Craft City. This looks really awesome."

Tyler smiled sheepishly. "Well, I know we aren't generally welcome anywhere, and I'm too young to go to a club with you all, I decided to make something special for you guys."

Mitch threw an arm around Tyler's arm and winked. "Well, you did good, buddy. And when you're older, maybe I _will_ take you to a club and teach you how to flirt with the ladies."

Tyler threw him a disgusted look. "Really, Mitch?"

Mitch laughed and nudged the teen playfully. "Relax, sport. I'm just kidding."

Tyler rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Help me hang the disco ball."

"The _WHAT_?!"

::::TIME LAPSE::::

_You can come back now._

"Welp," Adam said after reading the text. "Tyler says we can go back home."

Kyle glanced at the café wall clock. "It's eight at night. He's been doing whatever for the past four hours."

"Let's just get home quickly. I wanna see what he did!" Ashley exclaimed.

::::TIME LAPSE::::

"Okay. I did _not_ expect this," Max whispered. Everyone's jaw dropped as they looked around the Lounge.

There was a disco ball hanging from the ceiling, spinning forever and shooting of multicolored lights. The Lounge's lights were off, allowing the New Craft City landscapes to glow. The coffee table had black plastic plates, cups, forks, spoons, and knives. Tyler and Mitch had rolled two of the dining room's salad bars next to the fireplace. Several different food aromas filled the air. All the furniture had been pushed to the wall where the doorway was so that it wasn't blocking the posters. Tyler had his speakers blasting music on the fireplace mantle and had somehow managed to find a small flat screen TV to place above the mantle as well. The two males who had set up everything stood in the center of the room, grinning at their guests.

"Oh my God!" Jess, Ashley, and Tiff exclaimed. The guys merely stared.

"This is pretty rossome," Ross complimented. Adam punched him in the shoulder.

"Guys, this looks so cool!" Kyle scoffed in astonishment.

"The party won't start itself though," Tyler acknowledged, raising an eyebrow.

::::TIME LAPSE::::

Mitch cautiously approached Jerome, who was sitting on the couch with Ashley after they both had danced for twenty minutes. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um, Jerome? Can I talk to you?" He asked over the music.

Jerome looked up and sighed. "Sure, Mitch. _Anything_ for you."

Mitch knew for a fact Jerome was being sarcastic and was clearly still upset, but he tried to ignore it. The two walked into the hallway away from everyone and the music before talking.

"What did you want?" Jerome questioned impatiently.

Mitch looked away. "I wanted to apologize for earlier."

Jerome snorted, shaking his head. "I really don't get you sometimes."

"I don't want to start the new year like thi-"

"Don't bring the new year into this, Mitch!" Jerome interrupted. "This has been going on for years!"

"I know."

"What I don't get is how you _thought_ that I would even _think_ about attacking you! Do you really still not trust me after all these years?! You really still would pull a gun on me?!"

"Jerome, I'm sorry, but that's how I function and I apologize! It's still a natural reaction for me! I'm trying but it's hard to break this habit!"

Jerome snorted. "I can't. I really can't, Mitch. I know it's hard, but, damn...You really would kill me without hesitating."

"I'd do what I'd have to. You'd do the same!" Mitch argued.

Jerome looked back at Mitch immediately. "I would, but I'd sure as hell hesitate before killing you! For any of you! But you'd put us down in seconds like we're animals!"

"Because that's what I was trained to do! I'm a _hunter_. I _hunt_ things, animal or not! I'm sorry for this morning, Jerome. I truly am. Just understand that I'm _trying_ here! I'm trying to fit in!"

Jerome closed his eyes. "Right. Fine. And I'll help you."

"Thank you."

The two males stood there silently for a few seconds before pulling each other into a friendly hug. The duo held the embrace for mere seconds before letting go.

"Let's just go back," Mitch smiled. Jerome nodded in agreement, smiling as well.

::::TIME LAPSE::::

Though they were all underage, General Grey had bought them all champagne to drink when the ball dropped and was now watching the TV with the others.

The TV showed a mob of people in New Craft City watching as the ball began to rise. The countdown began to flash on screen, starting from thirty seconds.

The general began to fill everyone's champagne glasses a quarter way before filling his own. When the countdown reached ten seconds, the team, the general, and the six guests began to count down as well.

"Ten!" They shouted. "Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! Happy New Years!" All sixteen of them shouted, drinking from their glasses and emptying them. They went around, giving each other hugs and kisses on the cheeks.

But the party didn't stop there as Tyler's phone continued to play music. Sure enough, Tyler began to sing along, slowly getting almost everyone to sing with him.

"_**I knew my rent was gon' be late about a week ago  
I worked my ass off, but I still can't pay it though  
But I got just enough to get up in this club  
Have me a good time, before my time is up  
Hey, let's get it now!"**_

Team Unknown, General Grey, and their friends partied together all the way to the late hours of the morning, kicking off their new year with a bang and with family.

**So sorry everyone about the delay. I've been trying to get back into the swing of school, and I forgot about this. Sorry! The name of the song is "Time of our Lives" by Pitbull and Ne-Yo. I do not own this song at all. **

**I hope you guys enjoyed! Until then, stay safe, take care, love ya, God bless, happy new year, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**


	19. Risen From Death and Dark

**Hope you had a fantastic Easter, my Mortem Venators! Sorry this is so late. Family and school got in the way. This chapter holds religious scenes so if you are not a fan of that, I have bolded the time lapse labels so you can skip over it. Other than that, I hope you can enjoy! R&amp;R!**

**P.S. There will be a Part ll.**

**Risen From Death and Dark**

"Ash, you ready?" Tyler called. "You did this on Christmas, and you're doing it now!"

"What am I doing?" Ashley replied from upstairs, her voice echoing through the base.

"You're taking forever! You, too, Tiff!"

"You can rush freaking beauty!" Tiff shouted.

"I'm not! I'm rushing you!"

Adam winced jokingly next to Tyler. "Damn, Tyler. A little rude, don't you think?"

"Adam, all of us guys are ready, the service starts in forty minutes, the church is a thirty minute walk away, and we're still waiting for them. We're cutting it _really_ close," Tyler pointed out, rocking back and forth on his heels.

"What's it like there?" Jerome asked worriedly. He had never been to a church before, and he was Bacca. They weren't generally liked by humans.

The entire team was heading to church for the Easter service. No one except Jason, Tyler, Tiff, and Ashley had been to church. It was a new experience. They didn't know how they were going to fit in, especially Jerome. Being a furry creature made it much more obvious that he was a supernatural than Ty or Adam. It was nerve wracking.

All the guys were dressed in nice dress shirts and slacks. Jerome was wearing his usual tuxedo. The guys had no idea what Tiff and Ashley were wearing because they had yet to make an appearance.

"It's not bad," Jason assured. "There will be a _lot_ of people, so that's something to watch out for. Other than that, you'll be fine. If someone tries to start something, Jerome, don't worry. We're here." Jerome nodded gratefully, an unsure smile still on his face.

Tyler put a hand on Jerome's shoulder. "We'll be fine. Trust me."

"Okay. But if I get shot at, I'm killing you two first."

**::::TIME LAPSE::::**

The team was extremely lucky to grab seats next to each other. The church was packed to the corners of the room. The Christmas and Easter services were everyone's favorite because of the hyped and enthusiastic atmosphere. The normal contemporary services were much louder on the two holidays than any other Sunday. It was Ashley and Tyler's favorite times of the year.

The first few songs were loud, and the singers on stage were jumping and dancing. The churchgoers couldn't really do that in their seats, so they had to settle for singing at the top of their lungs. The team was situated on the upper seats, giving them the view of the people on the bottom and stage. A few people on the bottom seats had their hands up in praise. Some were even courageous enough to jump.

Ashley, Tiff, Jason, and Tyler were much more calmer. They merely sang out loudly. Everyone was standing up for the songs. They would sit on the seats when they were told to. Then they would rise for final songs, sit for prayer, then they would be dismissed.

Jerome had yet to be criticized by anyone. Either the people didn't care, or they were too excited about the service to notice. Either way, Jerome was content with being unbothered.

Adam, Mitch, Jerome, Kyle, and Ty remained sitting in their seats. It was obvious they were uncomfortable by the way they pulled at their ties or looked around the auditorium nervously. Sometimes they watched their other four teammates praise their beliefs. Other times, they were glancing at the large screen above the stage.

The large cinematic screen had the lyrics to every song on it. The backgrounds constantly changed color and design, brightening up the room even more. The worshipping center looked a lot more like a concert than a church, but the feeling of God was still there, so the church-attenders didn't mind. Lights flashed colors upon the stage and singers, and everyone was dressed in bright but formal clothing. They were a different church. That was undebatable.

Finally, the male lead singer declared gently, "You may be seated." The entire church sat down in their seats in unison. A pastor stepped onto the stage, a young man in his thirties, and began going through regular announcements such as upcoming retreats or filling out the 'Guest Connections' page in their bulletin.

Every Sunday, a bulletin accustomed to the sermon of the week was handed out to everyone who entered the auditorium. It held recent events, what the church was, notices, and the Guest Connections page. The Guest Connections page was a page in the bulletin that newcomers, or regulars, filled out and put in the offering basket, so that the church could learn more about you.

Jason, Tyler, Ashley, and Tiff refused to force the others to fill it out.

After the young pastor said his prayer as a church, the singers stepped back on stage, sang another song, and got the stage ready for the senior pastor.

The senior pastor was named Stephen Treash, or Pastor Steve for short. He looked to be in his fifties with grey hair and a little bit of extra weight, but he spoke with the voice of thirty year old man. He had a kind smile, and he was personally everyone's favorite pastor for his slight humour and amazing sermons.

The pastor went on about how Jesus rose from the dead before going on to talk about how if you were unsure about Christ coming back to life. He compared those who were lost to Jesus' disciple, Thomas, a man who wasn't there to see Jesus with the other disciples when the Son of God first raised from the dead. Thomas refused to believe the news about Jesus unless he saw Jesus and His wounds. So, Jesus appeared in front of Thomas and told him to touch His wounds such as the nail holes in his hands.

Pastor Steve went on to say at the end, "If you are a Thomas, that is okay! God gave you a spine to stand tall so do so! If you need to witness Jesus before your very eyes, take this moment of silence to tell Him because He is calling out to you. Take this moment of quiet to speak with him."

The room went silent as the singers transitioned from backstage to the stage, setting up their instruments. Two people were on electric guitars while the male lead singer had a country one. Another person was on the keyboard next to the drummer, who had his own booth on the stage. A stand was in the middle and there were two rows of singers, eight in total. The two lead singers, one female and one male, were in the very front. They had their own microphones and led most of the songs.

The male lead singer spoke into the mic. "Please stand as we close." The audience complied while the five other team members stayed seated.

The soft music began to roll in as the female lead singer started to sing softly, the other churchgoers singing with her.

"**The moon and stars they wept  
The morning sun was dead  
The Saviour of the world was fallen  
His body on the cross  
His blood poured out for us  
The weight of every curse upon Him."**

There was a small beat break as everyone stopped singing, letting the instruments take control for a little bit. They began to sing again.

"**One final breath he gave  
As heaven looked away  
The Son of God was laid in darkness  
A battle in the grave  
The war on death was waged  
The power of Hell forever broken."**

The volume of the music became to pick up, becoming loud and faster. The drummer in his booth and the guitarists were making sure they were heard over the sound of the church, the choir, and the lead singers' soon to become powerful voices.

"**The ground began to shake  
The stone was rolled away  
His perfect love could not be overcome  
Now death where is your sting?  
Our resurrected King  
Has rendered you defeated."**

During this bridge, everyone's voice became progressively louder and more confident as the music picked up, coming to a standstill. Finally, all instruments stopped except for the drums. The drummer had his tiny solo before the beat dropped and everything became louder again.

"**Forever He is glorified  
Forever He is lifted high  
Forever He is risen  
He is alive, He is alive!"**

The church was barely singing but almost shouting instead. The people in their seats were just as excited and joyful as the singers on the stage. It didn't matter if their voices were good or bad. They were too focused on worshipping to care.

"**The ground began to shake  
The stone was rolled away  
His perfect love could not be overcome  
Now death where is your sting?  
Our resurrected King  
Has rendered you defeated.**

"**Forever He is glorified  
Forever He is lifted high  
Forever He is risen  
He is alive, He is alive!"**

"Sing it with us!" The male lead singer shouted.

The female had a large smile on her face as she yelled, "Here we go!"

"**We sing hallelujah  
We sing hallelujah  
We sing hallelujah  
The Lamb has overcome!**

"**We sing hallelujah  
We sing hallelujah  
We sing hallelujah  
The Lamb has overcome!"**

"Forever He is!" The male singer warned.

The church burst with praise.

"**Forever He is glorified  
Forever He is lifted high  
Forever He is risen  
He is alive, He is alive!"**

The music softened, and everyone lowered their voices as the final lines were delivered.

"**You have overcome  
You have overcome  
You have overcome."**

The music shifted to the final song. This song was much more upbeat while the other was more traditional. This song was much more modern, and it satisfied everyone else immensely. Instead of the female starting first, the male started first.

"Clap your hands together!" The male instructed. Everyone began to clap their hands together to the beat, even after the lead singers stopped. The male started to play his guitar. The choir didn't stop clapping.

"**I once was dead in sin  
Alone and hopeless,  
A child of wrath I walked  
Condemned in darkness,  
But your mercy brought new life  
And in your love and kindness,  
Raised me up with Christ  
And made me righteous."**

Only the drum sounded. _Boom, boom, boom_. The other instruments joined in. The church grew loud. Some people were swaying back and forth, still clapping their hands to beat like the choir.

"**You have bought me back  
With the riches of  
Your amazing grace  
And relentless love.  
I'm made alive forever,  
With you, life forever  
By your grace I'm saved,  
(By your grace I'm saved.)"**

The clapping continued as the beat slowly softened.

"**Lord, you are the light,  
That broke the darkness.  
You satisfy my soul,  
When I am heartless.  
If ever I forget  
My true identity,  
Show me who I am,  
And help me to believe."**

The drum alone thumped again with the clapping continuing, only to have the rest of the instruments join in. The church sang loudly together once more.

"**You have bought me back,  
With the riches of  
Your amazing grace  
And relentless love.  
I'm made alive forever,  
With your life forever,  
By your grace I'm saved,  
(By your grace I'm saved.)"**

"Sing it with us now!" The male called. "My sin has-"

The voices of the people sang loudly as the instruments quieted.

"**My sin has been erased,  
I'll never be the same.  
My sin has been erased,  
I'll never be the same."**

The instruments stopped completely as the people sang together as they clapped.

"**You have bought me back,  
With the riches of  
Your amazing grace,  
And relentless love.  
I'm made alive forever,  
With you life forever,  
By your grace I'm saved."**

The band kick started again as everyone chorused,

"**You have bought me back,  
With the riches of  
Your amazing grace,  
And relentless love.  
I'm made alive forever,  
With you, life forever,  
By your grace I'm saved,  
By your grace I'm saved."**

The music stopped as the senior pastor came on stage again, a large smile on his face.

"Now go! Spread the word of how Jesus Christ came back from the dead after three days! Follow Him and all will be well with you! And all God's people said-!"

"Amen!" The church shouted together.

"I'll see you next week!" He called before leaving the stage. The band on stage began playing instrumental music and dancing as everyone filed out of the service room.

**::::TIME LAPSE::::**

"That wasn't so bad," Mitch said as they trudged through the forest towards home.

"Yeah," Jerome agreed. "The sermon was amazing, too."

"I honestly thought it'd be worse with us being supernatural and all," Ty replied. "But they made us feel welcomed there."

"And the music was so hype, too!" Kyle commented enthusiastically. "Everyone was so together!" The team, minus Adam, laughed.

"Adam?" Tyler asked, smiling. Everyone looked over at the vampire, who was staring at his phone concernedly. "Adam, are you okay?"

Adam looked up, a grim look on his face. Everyone's smiles vanished. "Service was great and all, but duty calls."

"What happened?" Mitch questioned as everyone stopped walking.

Adam's gaze shifted over to the hunter, his look uncertain and hesitant. "Mitch, maybe you should sit out for this one."

"What? Why?" Mitch wanted to know. The rest of the team were wide-eyed.

Was Adam insane? Mitch was always the one who told them what to do!

Adam cleared his throat before announcing, "We have a potential supernatural attack on Clay Valley."

"What supernatural is it that you don't want Mitch there?" Jason questioned. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"It's not that I don't want him there because I do. It's just-" Adam sighed. "It's a potential Alaylith attack." Everyone tensed as Mitch froze.

"Oh" was all Mitch had to say.

"Mitch," Adam started, "It's up to you whether or not you want to come, but I trust that you can make the right call."

Mitch stayed quiet. Damn! His Easter was going so well, too! Then this happened!

"You can think about it before we leave the military base," Adam suggested. Adam was team leader, but he never forced anyone to do anything they didn't want to unless he absolutely had to. For that, the team was grateful and tried to push themselves for anything he asked, but facing those creatures again, it was too much.

Mitch nodded slowly. "Um. Yeah. Sure."

Adam gave a small sympathetic smile before saying, "Alright. To General Grey we go."

::::TIME LAPSE::::

Jerome had lagged behind the rest of the group with Mitch, whom was clearly conflicted on the possible Alaylith attack. Jerome sighed.

"Mitch?" He called quietly.

The brown-haired teen looked over. "Yeah?" Mitch replied just as quiet, if not quieter.

"Do you know what to do?"

Mitch sighed and shook his head. "No...That's my problem. I don't want to go, but I don't want to leave you guys either."

Jerome whirled around and placed a hand on Mitch's chest, stopping the both of them as the team walked on.

"Listen," Jerome began seriously, "We appreciate you thinking about us, Mitch, we really do, but you _have_ to think of yourself, too. It's not about what _we_ can handle. It's what _you_ can handle. If you are having doubts about this mission, do yourself a favor and don't come. We care too much about you to have you put yourself in danger like this."

Mitch swallowed thickly before nodding. "Yeah. Okay. Just...take flash bangs or something with you."

Jerome nodded. "We will."

::::TIME LAPSE::::

"Mitch, come here," Adam ordered softly, beckoning the teen to an empty conference room after the debriefing by General Grey.

Once they were alone, Adam shut the door and sighed. "Well?" He asked, gazing at Mitch. "What have you decided to do?"

Mitch looked away. "I don't want to sound selfish but-"

"Mitch," Adam interrupted seriously. "Nothing you can say will make me think you're selfish."

Mitch smiled slightly at that, but the grin disappeared quickly. "I'm, um, I'm staying here."

Adam nodded. "Okay. I had hoped you would say that." At Mitch's alarmed look, Adam immediately launched into an explanation. "Not like that, Mitchell! I mean...I want you to feel comfortable with telling me when you can't handle something. It won't make me think you're weak. After all you guys do for me, there is nothing in the world that would make me think less of you. If you want to stay here, if you _need_ to stay here, do so. We care way too damn much to lose you."

Mitch nodded. "Thank you, Adam."

"It's no problem." The two arm-hugged quickly before letting go. They smiled at each other and left the room.

::::TIME LAPSE::::

"Mitch, stop!" Ashley whined.

"Dude, seriously! We got it!" Tyler complained.

"My back is killing me!" Kyle groaned.

"Why do I have to have thirty pounds of lights on my back?!" Adam questioned.

Mitch turned around and shot the team a death glare. His voice was low and dangerous. "You are about to face demons that don't die unless you kill them with light without me. Did you really think I was going to let you go unprepared?"

"I think this is more over-prepared than anything!" Ty argued, trying to untangle Adam from the copious amount of fairy lights he was currently trapped within on the floor.

"Better that than in the jaws of an Alaylith," Mitch replied smoothly, digging through the armory's supply closets. "I would know."

"God dang it, Mitch!" Jerome cursed, trying to help Ty and Adam. "You only threw it at him! How did you get it around him?!"

"Hey, I'm the lasso champion in Sandville, five years running."

"The _what?!_"

Mitch ignored him.

"Mitch, I think we'll be fine," Tiff assured, shifting her heavy backpack full of flash bangs from shoulder to shoulder. "With you training us, I think we'll survive."

"Thinking isn't good enough," Mitch replied bluntly.

Tiff rested a hand on Mitch's shoulder gently. "Okay. I _know_ we'll live because we have someone to return to."

Mitch stood up and smiled at her. "Now that is something I liked to hear." The two hugged each other tightly.

"I'm glad you made the choice in staying here. I didn't want to see you get hurt again," she whispered in his ear.

"I know. I'm sorry. I just want to see you all safe," Mitch replied.

"We want to see you safe too, Mitch. Don't you ever forget that."

The two let go as General Grey walked in the room. "Alright, team! Say your goodbyes. Mitch, meet me in my office in five. Adam, get the hell up off the floor!"

"I can't!" Adam growled in frustration.

General Grey ignored him and left the room.

The rest of the team was now helping Adam as Kyle walked up to Mitch. "You probably know how to untie him in less than three seconds, huh?"

"Yup," Mitch answered, eyeing the cords skillfully and professionally, surveying each and every knot with the utmost precision.

"How?"

"It's hard to explain. The easiest way is to think of it like a maze. You gotta search for the beginning, find the middle, and reach the end. The middle, however, is where the weakest point of the cord is. Pull that and Adam will roll out of there like a burrito."

"A burrito?"

"I'm hungry." Mitch looked up at the clock and sighed. "Well, I gotta go." Mitch began walking to the door, but not before reaching down and giving a gentle tug on the light cord. Kyle and the team watched as the lights gave way to the pull and let go of its tight grip on Adam. The demon bird rolled out of his cocoon and onto his stomach. They watched as Mitch opened the door in amazement.

"Be safe," was all Mitch said before disappearing when the door closed shut.

**I AM SO SORRY THIS IS LATE! I was caught up with school and I was dangerously sick this week. I haven't been able to do much. I apologize. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed. If you did, please review and tell me what you liked. If you didn't, tell me why! I would love to hear your feedback so I can improve! Until then, take care, stay safe, love you, God bless, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**


	20. A Heartless Bastard After All

**Hello, my Mortem Venators! Man, it feels so great to say that again! Sorry that I haven't updated in months. Life stresses you out so much, you lose track of time. Speaking of time, I didn't realize Updating Week came by so fast! This is, what, four years now? That's so insane. Thank you guys so much. I hope you guys enjoy this short filler chapter as the intro to next six story updates I have for you! R&amp;R! Until then, stay safe, take care, God bless, love you, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**

**A Heartless Bastard After All**

Adam growled in frustration as he heard Grey yell, "Again!" from across the room.

Lying flat on his back, Adam lifted himself up again, ready to launch himself back at that stupid test dummy that had been kicking his ass for the past hour or so.

It was another Tuesday, the day where only Adam would be training with Grey, getting stronger to be a better team leader, while the team stayed home on the couches watching Spanish novellas. Lucky bastards.

Today, Grey had wanted to focus on fighting without using his demon form. Ever since they found out about those demonic power-blocking collars Griffin had used a while back, Grey wanted to train the team to fight better on their own.

A three-legged demon stood in front of him. With yellow and purple spotted fur, the demon looked less than intimidating, but Leonies were stronger and much faster than they looked. The three legs only served to give them greater speed.

Those black, beady eyes stared into Adam's orange ones, daring him to try again, but it was nearly impossible! The demonic team was assembled to use their powers to fight demons, not in human forms! But when Adam had said that, the response was, "If Tyler can do it, you can, too. Stop complaining and fight."

Crouching, Adam prepared himself to launch at the stupid Leonie again.

Waiting...waiting...waiting...

The Leonie got impatient and charged at Adam, that incredible speed catching him off guard once more. Adam barely had time to roll out of the way and latch his arm onto the Leonie's neck. He swung himself onto the demon's back and pulled upwards, launching the Leonie over his head and slammed it onto the floor. He held it down by pressing one knee to its chest and clamping its snapping jaws shut with his hands.

At times like this, Adam felt terrible for killing demons. They were just like regular animals, except satanic, but animals nonetheless. The innocence was there in their own evil way. What a heartless bastard.

Adam whispered, "Cur tollitur nomen reviviscere Luciferi." It was something Adam always whispered to his kills. It was Latin for "Revive in not the name of Lucifer." All demons revived, but by whispering these words, the power of his demon form converted the demons to animalistic forms upon revival. It was a favor to them, an apology for killing them in first place.

Even though the Leonie was just a test dummy and not real, Adam couldn't help it. It was subconscious at this point.

Adam took the hands holding the jaws closed and jerked to the side suddenly, its neck snapping. The Leonie fell limp before returning to straw.

Adam stood up, panting heavily and exhausted. He looked to Grey on the overhead balcony.

Grey nodded before pressing a button on the remote in his hand. A door to Adam's side opened suddenly. A blob of muck and grime sloshed out of the room. The name "_Philo_" was written above the door.

Adam looked at the hideous creature before looking pathetically back at Grey, anticipating the next order to come out of Grey's mouth. He could see the smirk on the general's face when the old man yelled,

"Again!"

* * *

With a low moan, Adam used the insignificant amount of energy he had left to push his whole body weight against the front door to close it. It took all his remaining will to not slide down the door on his back and fall asleep right there. After all, it was only seven thirty at night.

Instead, he slouched over to the Lounge, where everybody would most likely be. The hallways were dark, and it wasn't helping Adam's tiredness. He supposed the wooden floor was comfortable enough…

'_No. No. Go to the Lounge. At least say hi. You haven't seen them all day. You left before they even woke up,'_ Adam scolded himself.

Upon entering the Lounge, Adam laid eyes amongst his team and supposed the novellas were over. Jerome, Ashley, Mitch, and Jason were playing cards in the middle of the floor on the glass coffee table. Tiff and Kyle were just talking on the loveseat. Tyler and Ty seemed to be drawing each other or having some sort of weird art competition. Whatever it was, it had them both posing stupidly.

When they saw Adam, their faces lit up and broke into bright grins and smiles. Despite his weariness and his desire to just _sleep_, Adam couldn't help his own small, closed smile. It was the only thing he could muster up right there and then, but it was enough for them. They knew how tired he was, how hard he worked for them, how much he did...They would give their leader, their _friend_, anything they could offer in return.

Mitch moved first. Beside the hunter on the coffee table, there was a glass plate wrapped in tinfoil, most likely containing his dinner. Mitch stood, plate in hand, and walked over to Adam. The hunter threw one arm around Adam's shoulders and guided his friend over to the couch across from the fireplace. No one was occupying that couch. Therefore, Adam was free to lay down and rest.

Resting his arm around Adam's shoulders seemed like a simple and casual gesture. In reality, Mitch was just preparing himself to catch Adam should he stumble in his tired and weary state.

However, Adam didn't stumble or falter. Instead, he threw himself on the couch and immediately closed his eyes. Mitch just stood there with the plate in his hands, waiting.

"I have to get up to eat that, don't I?" Adam groaned.

"Well, you could eat laying down and risk choking then dying, but it's up to you," Mitch answered nonchalantly. He'd been through this before; they all had. Adam often came home tired, not really up to do much, and he tried to hide it behind humor, but their leader failed miserably at that.

There was a pause.

"Yeah, I don't feel like dying, contrary to the fact that I feel dead already," Adam replied, pushing himself up into a sitting position and taking the plate from Mitch. "Thanks, _pal._"

Mitch snickered and began to walk back towards his card game. "No problem, _friend_."

"So, Adam," Tiff started. Adam looked up from uncovering his dinner. "What were you doing today?"

Adam poked around the homemade macaronis Ashley had made with his fork. "Training without powers to fight with collars on. Had to face off different types of demons." He took a bite.

"What demons?" Jason questioned, placing down a card on top of the pile.

"Had to face off a Leonie, then a Philo-"

"A Leonie?" Mitch repeated, watching Ash place down a card. "Those things are so damn fast for a three-legged creature."

Adam huffed. "You're telling me," he answered, continuing to eat.

"Grey drill you harder than last time?" Ty snickered, drawing something on the pad in his lap.

"All you hear is him yelling 'Again!' from the damn balcony, telling me to try once more," Adam sighed. "I have no idea how you do it, Tyler."

"Well, I normally have weapons on me and eight other supernaturals backing me up, so I'm not too terrified. You were facing these things empty-handed," Tyler started, drawing something just like Ty was. "Granted, sometimes I have to fight empty-handed, but that's typically against something small, like a Rigtno."

"The hell is a Rigtno?" Ashley piped up, cursing at Jerome immediately after the Bacca placed down a card.

"It's a small monkey-looking creature. It's all black with white plates on its chest, head, back, forearms, and shins. The plates are hard to break, but they're small enough to just snap their necks," Tyler described, grabbing a blue marker from between him and Ty.

"That's creepy…" Jerome added before yelling, "Damn it, Jason!"

No one noticed Adam jump in fear from his place on the couch. That...hadn't been what he was expecting, and after the training he went through today, all the loud noises reminded him of all the screams the demons made before he killed them. What a heartless bastard.

The chatter continued throughout the Lounge. Adam had finished his plate a while ago, and no one realized he had fallen asleep on the couch with his back turned to everyone. They were too involved with their conversations, they hadn't realized their leader went silent.

But Adam's mind wasn't quiet at all. Quite the opposite. Those demons were just test dummies, bags of straw combined with advanced technology to make everything real from beginning to end. Those screams came from bags of straw, but did they really? Those were true sounds of demonic terror, and while demons were the root of all evil, they feared things just like anything else.

And Adam was one of their fears.

Created as a demon but born to kill creatures of his kind. He tried to distance himself from these missions, but at the end of the day, he was just like the monsters he murdered. What a heartless bastard.

* * *

"I'm not playing with you anymore, Mitch," Jason growled but not really meaning it. The others laughed as the Reaper threw down his cards and pouted. Jerome and Ashley had given up an hour ago and resorted to watching the other two go at it.

Mitch grinned. "Say it, Jason. Say that I'm better than you, that I'm smarter."

"Ooh," Kyle laughed. "He's trying to pick a fight, Jason."

Tiff smacked him on the back of his head. "Stop instigating, Kyle!"

Jason chuckled before standing up, stretching his arms. The others heard his muscles pop from sitting for too long. "I'll admit that you're smarter than Kyle."

"Rude!"

Mitch smirked. "Anyone is."

"Extremely rude!"

Behind Jason, Ty was trying to get Tyler to take a break from his laughter to breathe.

"Fair," Jason replied. His eyes glanced over to Adam, whom he had just realized was silent this whole time.

He wasn't too surprised to see his friend passed out on the couch. Adam wasn't facing them and his soft breathing filled the room. The team quieted themselves as they glanced over to see what Jason was looking at.

"He's so peaceful over there," Tiff whispered, her eyes softening.

"He never does fall asleep around us, does he?" Kyle asked.

"No, he doesn't," Mitch replied, leaning back with his arms to keep him up. "Even on Tuesdays, he's the last one to go to bed. He waits for us to sleep first."

"And then he's the first one awake in the morning," Tyler added. "You hardly ever catch him asleep, much less knocked the hell out like _this_." He gestured to his leader's sleeping form.

"He's so cute when he's sleeping!" Ashley exclaimed in a quiet voice. She paused. "But he looks a little cold…"

It was true. The demon bird had curled in on himself to warm uncovered skin, and he had tucked his bare forearms around his waist to be covered by his legs. He was even shivering a bit.

"Tyler, toss me the blanket on your couch?' Jason asked. Tyler picked up the blanket that rested on the back of the sofa and tossed it to Jason, who caught it before it hit Jerome in the face. The Bacca had leaned back in surprise.

Jason unfolded the blanket before throwing it over Adam, making sure their leader looked comfortable before stepping away.

From there, the team began moving the coffee table to the side and grabbed blankets and pillows from their rooms. They decided who would get which spot where for the night in the Lounge before Jerome turned off the light. They weren't going to leave Adam to sleep downstairs alone.

Because, after all, no matter how much Adam belittled himself, he wasn't a heartless bastard at all.


	21. Nightmares Don't Matter Now

**Nightmares Don't Matter Now**

Mitch sat in silence and in angst as he watched the team fight the Alayliths from a set of computer screens. Both General Grey and Mitch were sitting in swivel chairs, surrounded by nine monitors. One monitor was off, and, if he was battling, that would be Mitch's screen.

It was Easter night, and Mitch was not liking it. Just sitting there, safe and sound in the new military base, made Mitch feel claustrophobic and _afraid_. It annoyed him because he knew he was safe and that the Alayliths couldn't get him from his spot, but for God's sake, the damn demons could have a picture in a _textbook_ and Mitch would freak out.

Those rotten, foul-smelling, hellish demons nearly killed him, scarred him, kept him bedridden for _days_! The team helped Mitch through nightmares for weeks after the incident; he didn't need anymore.

He just hoped and prayed that they would be safe.

* * *

Adam's mind was overwhelmed. His thoughts were clouded, and he couldn't think. He could feel that something was wrong, something was _always_ wrong! His teammates were okay; they were faring well. They were perfectly _fine_! So why didn't Adam believe that?

Maybe it was because one of their teammates was suffering and he wasn't with the others for comfort.

Adam swore as he picked up two Alayliths in his talons and dropped them in the middle of a flash bang Jason had thrown. The demons exploded as Adam soared through the sky, gathering the Alayliths in a group so that the team could take down more demons with less attacks.

Mitch was watching this fight with General Grey. Knowing the hunter, he was putting an act for the older man, pretending as though he was okay when he was, in fact, not. Adam saw the way Mitch would flinch whenever Alayliths were mentioned. The round, grey demons haunted him. The team had spent countless nights talking him down from a nightmare. They saw how scared Mitch was when Adam announced how the Alayliths were back so soon hours ago.

Mitch had sacrificed his life to keep the demons at bay for at least a few years, but they bounced back within the span of a few months! Mitch's pain was almost for nothing, and that pissed the team off. They wanted to know why this was happening. It didn't make sense.

"Adam!" Jerome yelled.

Trapped within his own thoughts, Adam felt a large weight slam into his demon bird chest. He was knocked out of the sky, and he crashed into the ground with such force, a crater was formed and cracks ran at least twenty feet away from Adam.

As a demon bird, Adam was large, almost half the size of Kyle's dragon. He weighed a lot as well, so crashing into the ground with a weight almost as overwhelming as his caused the ground to shift, almost an earthquake.

The citizens had evacuated the town of Clay Valley - no one was allowed to see that Team Unknown consisted of monsters - but Adam was sure that the town felt the tremors from the other side of the hardened clay mountains.

Adam opened his orange eyes, only to stare deep into the empty eye sockets of an Alaylith, but it wasn't one of the regular Alayliths. Alayliths were naturally large, but this one was massive. Adam remembered Mitch saying something about an Alaylith four times larger than the average size. Adam supposed this was it.

In an attempt to free himself with the powerful wind force used to lift him into the air, Adam struggled beneath the demon, wings flapping frantically. The Alaylith was losing grip, but the claws sheathed into Adam seemed to be digging in deeper. It was probably one of the most painful experiences Adam had ever encountered. The Alaylith was gripping hard enough to tear Adam's chest off. Black spots were dancing in his vision.

Adam really did not want to bite the stupid demon. He did not want the taste of rotting flesh in his mouth, but he was prepared to bite the Alaylith if it meant getting back to Mitch and the team alive. Adam just wasn't sure if his beak was large enough to fit over the monster. It sure was sharp enough though. He was more than willing to make an Alaylith-kabob.

Luckily for him, Jerome and Jason launched into action.

Transformed as a Reaper, Jason gripped his scythe tightly and teleported above the massive demon. Swinging his scythe in an arc, Jason cut through the Alaylith. No one had tried attacking the demon head on before, only that Mitch had told them not to.

The three immediately realized why.

In the base, Mitch swore loudly, panic setting in. General Grey jumped in surprise. The brunette had stayed quiet this entire. The sudden exclamation caught him off guard.

Before General Grey could stop him, Mitch slammed his hand on the button next to the microphone in front of the duo.

"Guys! What the hell did I say?" Mitch snapped. He didn't mean to sound like an ass, but the panic and concern had settled in, and Mitch was terrified for his friends.

"_You didn't need to tell us twice!"_ Jerome's voice replied, fear evident. "_We already know! Mitch, how the hell?!"_

The Alaylith Jason had cut in half had fallen on opposite sides of Adam. The demon bird wasted no time in flying into the sky to escape the monster. However, the Alaylith wasn't dead.

The two halves started to grow back. The three could hear skin ripping and bones cracking as two Alayliths the size of the original regenerated. They weren't dealing with one supersized Alaylith.

They were dealing with two.

"_Shit,"_ Mitch heard Jason murmur.

"_What?!_" Adam screeched. _"Mitch, you didn't tell us about this!"_

"I said don't attack them head on!"

_"You didn't tell us why!"_

"That Alaylith right there, or Alayliths now, is practically the king. His name is Krokoro, and he can't be killed with a regular flash bang. You need to get him to a well lit area, preferably with lava."

_"I don't know if you've noticed Mitch,"_ Kyle started, _"but we're in a clay valley in a mason biome, surrounded by desert. Where in God's name are we going to find lava?!"_

"Well that's your fricking problem now. I told you not to attack them head on!" Mitch

"_Mitch!_" Adam warned.

"I know! Let me think!" Mitch shouted back, wracking his brain to try and find a solution to their current problem caused accidentally by the smartest guy on the _fricking team!_

Mitch didn't realize he was still holding down the button to speak when he turned to General Grey a painfully long minute later.

"General, what are the coordinates for the closest teleporter by Clay Valley?" Mitch questioned.

"_Mitch, no!"_ Adam ordered, dive bombing out of the way when one of Krokoro's parts jumped at him, nearly hitting him again.

Mitch growled in annoyance, and the team heard it. "Grey, ignore him. The coordinates. Now."

"_Mitch, I am not the team leader for fucking nothing! Don't you dare come over here! Grey!"_ Adam snapped harshly, clearly meaning what he said.

"Adam, if I don't help you, you might as well die out there!" Mitch threatened just as harsh.

Grey, clearly conflicted on who to answer, began to think quickly on the pros and cons of either side.

If he chose Adam, he could potentially lose eight of nine soldiers and the Alayliths would find the village they were trying to protect, eating them all. If he chose Mitch, the hunter would most likely be able to save most of them, if not all, and take out the Alayliths quickly and effectively at the expense of not sleeping well for the next couple of months.

After doing this job for over three decades, Grey knew his call.

"One-hundred eight, ten, negative four-hundred twenty-seven," Grey answered quietly, but the team heard it.

"_Grey!"_ Jerome cried out in anger. For Jerome to be upset, Grey knew he had pissed off the team.

"_Mitch, do not go anywhere near that teleporter!"_ Adam snapped, flashing out his wings, letting the force of the action carry him upward and out of the way of Krokoro. They seemed to be heavily targeting him. Adam was eerily okay with that, so long as Krokoro didn't attack his team.

His orders went unheard, however. Mitch had already left the room.

"_Jerome,"_ Adam growled. "_Take Tyler and find that teleporter. Destroy it __**now**__."_

"Adam!" Grey roared in protest.

"_My pleasure. Let's go, Tyler,"_ Jerome replied, clearly ignoring Grey.

"_Already on my way,"_ Tyler answered. Based on his cam, Grey could see Tyler already scanning the city from broken rooftops.

Grey released the button to talk. "Mitch, you better hurry your ass up and create a miracle. We need it."

* * *

The hunter raced out of the base, snatching six buckets from outside. Not too far from the base was a man made lava pool. The military had made it for weapon material use. Luckily for Mitch, he could make lava weapons, too, except way more powerful with a dragon on his side.

Mitch could have taken the lava-resistant gloves that were in the chest next to the lava pool, but he didn't. Instead, he pushed down a titanium pin in each bucket's bottom, deciding to use the more difficult way. The more difficult way would benefit him more when it actually came down to making his weapons. And, after all, titanium didn't melt in lava.

Using titanium wire, Mitch tied each bucket's handles to bottom of the pin protruding from the bucket's underside. Making sure the wires were taut, Mitch grabbed a fishing pole from the chest and placed the six buckets' wires on the hook, lowering them down into the lava pool. Grabbing another fishing pole, Mitch attached the hook to the handles of the buckets, pulling the buckets upwards so the lava could fill to the top without burning himself. The lava-resistant gloves would have helped, but there were so many things wrong with it.

First off, the gloves were lava-resistant, not heat-resistant. Mitch's hands would've been red and sore by the time he took them off. If he had used the gloves, the whole bucket would've been covered in lava. With the poles and wire, only half was covered, and that was the half without the wire. Therefore, Mitch had a way to hold the buckets without touching a lava-covered handle. It wasn't exactly a sturdy method of holding something, but it would work better than burning off his hand.

From there, titanium foil was placed tightly over the buckets, held by more pins, to ensure the lava didn't spill. Grabbing the buckets by the wires, Mitch began to sprint toward the coordinates Grey had given him. Mitch had a watch on his wrist, given to him as a gift by a person he had once met, that did all sorts of tasks, but Mitch mainly used it to see how many enemies were in the area and the coordinates of his location.

The teleporter wasn't far, maybe a few hundred feet. Mitch could make that in seconds. With his mind occupied heavily on trying to get to the portal, it didn't really register in his mind that he was going against _Alayliths_, the very demons he almost _lost his life to._ He could very easily almost die again. But how the hell did he almost die and Tyler didn't? Granted, Tyler was accompanied by a damn _dragon_ and a werewolf but that was besides the point. Mitch was faster and stronger than Tyler, and he especially knew way more about demons than Tyler did. Not to put his teammate down, but Mitch was supposed to be better than his _entire team_ at demon hunting. He had been doing this for _years_. So why was he the only one who could have been killed?!

And why weren't the Alayliths gone like they were supposed to?!

Mitch nearly died to push back the Alaylith spawn rate by years! So why did they come back within months? It made no sense!

Mitch will always remember how it felt to have those stained yellow, black, and red rotted teeth pierce and break his skin. How, despite his strength and demon-killing record (yes, he did keep track and very accurately), he was easily tossed around like he was _nothing_, as if he wasn't a mass demon hunter, as if he wasn't trained heavily to avoid those situations. Those screams and howls will reside in his mind forever, how close they were behind despite his speed. He will never forget how his legs burned from pushing off trees in an attempt to escape. He had meant to get them away and kill them, but, at that point, as he was chased, all he could think about was how much he regretted his decision, how he yearned to be by Tiff's side again.

But now he needed Kyle.

Kyle was unable to turn into a dragon. He was in too small of an area to. The team had already destroyed half the city, but they weren't supposed to destroy anymore than they had to, even if it cost them their lives. It was a stupid ass rule, and even Grey hated it, but the C.I.A., F.B.I., and the Global Leaders Organization believed that if the team were given too much freedom, they would take advantage and destroy the world. It was a stupid notion. World domination was the very thing the team was trying to avoid.

Even so, Kyle was unable to be a dragon. He was much larger than everyone and he was still a baby. Dragons could live forever and didn't stop growing for several millennia. Kyle's twenty years of life meant _nothing_ to how much he was going to live.

Because Kyle _was_ going to live to see his first millennia. Mitch would make sure. He'd die before Kyle would.

The teleporter was just in front of him. As Mitch approached the very thing that would teleport him to his nightmares, the backpack on his shoulder seemed to become heavier, and the heat of the lava buckets he held seemed to scald his hands. He didn't want to go through.

Was it selfish? Of course it was. Did he hate himself for it? Yes. But did he have good reason to feel this way? Definitely. These demons could take his life in seconds. He could still feel ghost pain from his past broken ribs.

Adam and the team were screaming at him, clearly angry that he was coming. They knew he could save them, that he had the power to kill these Alayliths in moments just like those demons could kill them, but, even sacrificing their good will, they refused to let him come near the battlefield.

Mitch needed to do this. He needed to get rid of this fear. He needed to.

With a deep breath, Mitch reached out to push the button for the teleporter doors to open. Just as he reached out, the teleporter began beeping wildly. Eyes widening, Mitch dived out of the way. He barely escaped death as the teleporter exploded, sending debris flying everywhere. A thin shard of metal managed to knick Mitch's cheek, leaving a trail of blood seeping down. With a growl of anger, Mitch out a finger to the communicator and tapped twice to speak only to Grey.

"James, new teleporter _now_," Mitch snapped. He hadn't meant to sound rude, but stress was on the rise, and Krokoro wasn't going to stop until the team was dead.

"_Damn it! So they really did destroy that thing!"_

Mitch raised an eyebrow. "They _what_?"

"_Adam ordered Jerome and Tyler to destroy that teleporter, so you couldn't reach them. I reckon they destroyed every teleporter they found."_

"That idiot!" Mitch seethed, indicating Adam. "I need the next closest and working teleporter in Clay Valley."

"_There is none in Clay Valley. They destroyed them all,"_ Grey replied. Mitch was about to say something else when Grey continued to speak. "_Wait! There is! A company on the edge of the city has their own private teleporter!"_

"Where?" Mitch ordered, hoping it wasn't too far.

"_Eastwards of your position, but, Mitch, it's several hundred miles away. You can't run that distance."_

Mitch stamped his foot in frustration before his heart began to beat faster in relief. "Who said I was running it? I'll just get a ride from someone else."

"_Who?"_

Mitch put two fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly. It didn't take long for two muscular and large hellhounds to materialize out of the tree's shadows.

With a smirk, Mitch said, "I'll be there soon, Grey. Make sure they don't know about this teleporter. I'm on my way."

Grey didn't dare question the hunter. "_Be safe. Negative seven hundred, twenty, forty-eight."_

After entering the coordinates in his watch, Mitch turned off his comm. and hopped on one of the two hellhounds that had approached him. These were his dogs, but John had taken them. Now that John was dead, the hellhounds were his again, and their loyalty had never wavered. They had been and will always be his dogs.

"Tooth, Claw, let's move," Mitch ordered. Tooth shook her head in excitement under Mitch's hand and began to race in the direction Mitch said. Claw followed close behind. Once they reached the forest shadows, the hellhounds began to sink deeper and deeper into ground. Soon, they blended completely with the darkness and moved as quick as darkness. They should arrive at the teleporter very soon.

He was going to kill those damn Alayliths, and the team wasn't going to stop him.

* * *

Red blood was seeping out of Adam's chest wounds. Those gaping holes were probably already infected from Krokoro's disgusting nails digging into him. Jerome and Tyler were gone, destroying all the teleporters they found to keep Mitch from coming.

Adam was pissed. How was he supposed to be a leader if his own team didn't listen to him? Adam knew they needed Mitch here, he was the only one who knew how to take down Krokoro, but Adam was never going to admit that.

Speaking of the Alaylith King, Krokoro's parts were targeting him still, and at the rate his blood was pouring out, it wouldn't take long for him to fall to the ground, unconscious and easy prey. A shiver ran down Adam's spine. That wasn't a scenario Adam liked to imagine.

Jason couldn't do much of anything. Neither could Ty, Jerome, Kyle, Tyler, and Tiff. Ashley was the only one who could spark fires. They had run out of flash bangs a long time ago, and the night was only half over. They still had hours to go.

Adam didn't have hours left to live.

He could feel himself growing tired. If his wings flapped any slower, the force wouldn't be enough to keep him in the air, and he would fall faster than rain in a storm.

Krokoro would have a field day with his corpse.

Jerome and Tyler returned, grim looks on their faces. Adam knew. All the teleporters were destroyed. Help wasn't coming. They'd just have to survive until morning.

The team tried to get Krokoro's attention, biting and attacking one part at a time, but since Adam was already almost dead, they weren't going to give up easy game.

There was nothing they could do. Like Mitch had said, Krokoro couldn't be killed by the fires Ashley started with her lightning. Adam didn't want to meet his demise, but he expected it more than his teammates.

His wings began to slow, and that was that. Adam felt his eyes drift closed as he fell several thousand feet towards the ground. He had fallen with his wings above him, his back ready to slam into the ground.

He heard his teammates screaming his name, but they were almost drowned out by the sound of Krokoro's and the Alayliths' howling. Adam didn't feel anything after he hit the ground.

And for that, he was grateful.

* * *

Mitch found himself in what must've been a several billion dollar company, Tooth and Claw right by his side. Surrounded by advanced machinery and technology, Mitch felt overwhelmed. However, he had no time to admire. He bolted throughout the building, his dogs right at his heels.

Mitch threw open the doors of the company and stepped outside. Bright lightning cracked across the night sky, illuminating the area enough for Mitch to just barely see the outline of a large demon bird's slow flapping wings. He already knew that he had to move quickly. Adam's life depended on him.

"Tooth, Claw, let's move!" Mitch ordered, sprinting towards the battlefield. The Alayliths were no longer on his mind. Adam was. He wasn't going to let his leader, his _friend_, die. Not like this. Never like this.

Not like how Mitch almost did.

Mitch reached the edge of the battlefield. He kept to the shadows of the buildings, blending in with the darkest of areas.

"Tooth," Mitch whispered. "Dig me a ten foot long hole, about two feet deep."

Tooth nodded and began her work, her strong and sharp claws carving into the hardened clay road. She was making quick work of the ground, almost as if the dry clay was wet soil. Mitch knew the hole would be done in a couple of minutes.

"Claw," Mitch began. The male hellhound's head snapped towards his master, his glowing yellow eyes ready for his orders. "Get those two Alayliths off that bird."

Claw bolted forwards, a streak of almost nothing in the dark. The only thing Mitch saw was the streak of yellow light Claw's eyes left behind. With the force of an eighteen wheeler, Claw launched himself at one of Krokoro's counterparts. Krokoro One went flying across the valley, demolishing the building he landed in. Claw clamped a strong jaw around the nubby tail of Krokoro Two, nearly ripping it off. Claw jerked his head around to the side, and, even though the tail nearly came off, Krokoro Two flew across the valley as well, right on top of Krokoro One.

Mitch couldn't be prouder. His dogs were trained so well.

Speaking of which, Tooth had finished her hole. Mitch pushed the buckets into the hole in a line, simultaneously commanding Tooth to bring the "pink-haired man" to him. Kyle came over, dragged, really, to Mitch in seconds. Needless to say, Kyle looked both pissed and relieved to see him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Kyle demanded. Then he changed his mind. "Not that I'm not happy to see you saving our lives but seriously. You shouldn't be here."

Mitch was about to respond when a loud crash sounded and the ground shook below them. Adam lay unmoving and unawake on the floor. Tiff and Ashley's screams were loud enough for the whole team.

"No time to explain. Kyle, how much heat can you produce and withstand in human form?" Mitch asked quickly.

Overcoming his shock, Kyle answered, "As much as I can as a dragon, but I'd be knocked out afterwards. Why?"

Mitch gestured to the six buckets of lava in the ground. "I need you to blow that up and let the lava destroy and burn this city."

"Mitch, we can't do that!"

Mitch's expression turned angry. "What matters more? Deserted buildings or Adam's life?"

There was no hesitation after that. Everyone was already on high ground. Tooth and Claw dragged Adam out of the way while Krokoro was still down and recovering. Mitch got himself his own rooftop and waited for Kyle to act.

Soon, the bubbling was heard and lava exploded from the alleyway he was once in. The lava erupted from the streets and landed right where Kyle directed it. The lava reached each Alaylith and the howling was heard as those damn demons melted. Krokoro was nowhere to be found.

But Adam wasn't awake either.

**And that's it for this chapter and Day Two of Updating Week. Part three will be up tomorrow. Hoped you enjoyed. Until then, DARKSOMEONE SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**


	22. Asystole of a Courageous Heart

**Hello my Mortem Venators! Welcome to Day Three of Updating Week! This is the third and final part of Risen From Death and Dark, so I hope you enjoy! R&amp;R!**

**Asystole of a Courageous Heart**

Mitch collapsed on his rooftop in relief. He was about to head down to check on Kyle when two loud and pained howls sounded from his left. It was from Tooth and Claw. Didn't they take Adam?

Kyle was probably much safer than Adam, Kyle had said so. Therefore, Mitch didn't waste anytime in sprinting towards Adam. What had brought down their leader? Adam wasn't easily defeated. So what had…?

Oh..._that…_

Adam had ten holes in the top part of his chest, five on each side. His chest was lifted up slightly. The sight made Mitch want to throw up. Adam wasn't losing blood anymore, which would normally be a _good_ thing, except that it wasn't. The only reason Adam's blood still wasn't pouring out was because he had none left to lose.

Mitch dropped from the rooftop and onto the lower half of Adam's chest where Tooth and Claw were laying down in sadness, face hidden in their paws. There was nothing Mitch could do. He couldn't force Adam out of his demon bird form, and Mitch had no idea if he could even fix Adam's chest. The torso was half up, barely connected by strands of flesh and feathers. Those feathers were black anymore. They were stained red.

Mitch fell to his knees next to Tooth and Claw. He rested one hand on both of their heads. They had done great work tonight. It was Mitch who had failed. If he hadn't hesitated, he would've gotten through the portal before it was destroyed. Adam would still be alive.

But would he really?

Adam would still be alive, but Krokoro had wounded him a long time ago. Mitch had never performed surgery on a demon of Adam's size. Mitch didn't think he would be able to save Adam either way.

Finally, it all came rushing to Mitch. Adam was _dead_. No longer would the team ride his back between missions, hear the wind separate under the force of Adam's heavy wings. Never will they hear their leader tell them everything was okay, that they wouldn't die while he was around, that he would give his life up for them. Never will Adam come home tired but still give them company, still joke around, still laugh. Never will Mitch wake up and hear Adam cooking breakfast downstairs or hear Adam's voice telling him gently that they had to go save more lives. Never will the team ever have that again because Adam was gone.

Mitch once remembered a particular mission where he had been injured with a stab wound. Mitch could have died if Adam wasn't fast enough. As soon as the knife entered Mitch's abdomen, the man he had been facing was dead with a swift snap of the neck. Adam has caught Mitch just before the hunter fell and ordered for Ty to "get his ass over here." Before Mitch knew it, he was on Adam's feathery back with the rest of the team around him. Ashley and Jason couldn't do anything. They had nothing to work with. Sometimes, it was better to leave the knife in than to take it out.

But through all that, through all the pain and yelling, Mitch focused on one thing to keep himself calm: Adam's heartbeat. Adam's heart had always grown to fit his demon form every time he transformed. The deep _bum-bum_ of Adam's steady heart kept Mitch anchored. For some reason, Mitch found it so comforting as he laid there in pain. He was the only one besides Jerome and Ty who could hear it since he was laying down, but he doubted the other two even bothered to listen.

Mitch laid down on Adam's chest and listened. The night was quiet, very quiet, so it shouldn't have been even remotely hard to hear Adam's thumping heart.

But he didn't.

Adam's heart was completely silent, no longer pumping blood because there was no more blood left in him to pump. The one true sign of life left in Adam was gone. Therefore, so was Adam.

Mitch sat up just in time for the team to arrive. Mitch didn't know what took them so long. They must've been in way too much shock. Mitch didn't blame them. It wasn't hard to see that Adam was dead. His body was already cooling.

"Mitch…?" Jerome didn't even bother to sound angry or ask how he even got there. "Is he…?"

Mitch swallowed thickly. He felt his eyes begin to water. "Yeah," he croaked out. "Adam's dead."

Mitch heard the shuddering gasps from Tiff and Ashley, heard the small denials from the men. He didn't need super hearing to hear their hearts shatter like his own. Tooth and Claw were whimpering next to him, weeping for their master, saddened by the life they were unable to save despite their amazing performance tonight.

"If there was anything I could have done,' Mitch started, his voice shaking. "I would have done it."

"_**Master Demonii knew he would die, Master Hertz. The blame falls not on any of you but Krokoro."**_

Never had Mitch been so glad to hear that voice. The voice of a father to them all, their mentor when Adam couldn't be, their voice of wisdom and reason when Adam wasn't around. Even when Adam was there, that voice would soothe their leader from his stress and frustration.

The Count was here.

"_**There was no saving Master Demonii. As sad as the truth is, we were all helpless. The only demon that could have saved him…"**_ The Count trailed off.

"Who?" Ty asked, his voice low. "Who could have saved him, and why didn't they?"

"_**The demon, no, that is not the correct term...The angel, Alakiro, a Valkyrie, did not wish to come."**_

"That son of a bitch isn't an angel," Mitch growled. "You were right the first time. He's a demon. He doesn't deserve to be called an angel. Especially after blatantly ignoring his _job_, Alakiro deserves to rot in Hell."

"_**Master Hertz,"**_ The Count reprimanded. "_**You know not to speak of him like that."**_

"If Alakiro has a problem with it, he can come talk to me, but for now, that asshole ignored his job and cost Adam his _life_. He's no angel, he's a murderer." Mitch paused. "There's gotta be another way…He can't just be _dead!"_

Tooth nudged her nose into the palm of Mitch's hand, but he didn't think much of it until she started to become rougher. She took her paw and tapped his shoulder twice, and when he still didn't listen, she tossed her head hard into Mitch's side.

Mitch nearly toppled over. "What the hell?" Turning to look at Tooth, he looked ready to scold her, but one look at her scared yet determined face told him everything. "_No,_" he said firmly. "_No._"

Tooth barked her deep disapproval and stamped her front paws angrily before barking again.

"_No, Tooth_. It's _not_ happening. And besides, it wouldn't work," Mitch replied sternly.

"What's going on?" Jason asked.

"_**Miss Tooth is willing to attempt a demon life exchange,"**_ The Count answered. "_**It is exactly how it sounds. However, even if Master Hertz did agree to perform it, he is correct. It would not work. Miss Tooth has not yet learned how to speak human languages. If her soul was transferred into the body of Master Demonii, he would not be able to speak and would develop the characteristics of Miss Tooth. Therefore, he would not be the leader you know. Rather, he would be a demon bird version of Miss Tooth."**_

The team went silent.

"Is there really nothing else you can think of?" Tyler asked, his voice quiet.

"Actually," Mitch started. "I can think of a thousand different things, starting with revival stones then with demonic rituals to just plain witchcraft and dark magic, but there are so many things that could go wrong. I could destroy Adam's body completely, utterly disintegrate it, blow us all up, kill myself, destroy this city...I don't have the materials, and most of these things have to be done within the hour he was killed. We don't have time for any of it. We don't have even remotely enough time."

"Mitch, is something wrong with your hellhound?" Tiff questioned, gesturing to Claw.

Throughout Mitch's tirade, Claw had settled into what seemed like an uncomfortable position. He had been coughing, choking even, and seemed ready to throw up. However, Tooth hadn't been freaking out about it, so Mitch had hardly paid attention, but now he was starting to get a little concerned.

"Claw? What's wrong?" Mitch rested a hand on Claw's back, but the hellhound continued to gag. His right paw had lifted up for emphasis, and his tail was thumping hard against Adam's corpse. Mitch shivered.

'_Corpse.'_

"_**Master Hertz…"**_ The Count began, hopping down from his rooftop to Adam's body. He walked next to Claw, looking over the hellhound.

Everyone watched in helplessness and with bated breath until Claw finally coughed up what he had been choking on. A purple gem fell out of Claw's mouth and onto Adam.

The purple gem had black electricity bolts swarming it, and it was a miracle Claw had been alive with it inside of him. But Mitch and The Count knew it would never kill anyone.

It was made for the exact opposite reason.

"Claw…" Mitch whispered, shock settling in.

"_**I have searched for this relic for ages,"**_ The Count breathed, awestricken. "_**It resided in the stomach of Mister Claw this entire time?"**_

"What?" Ashley urged. "What is it?"

Mitch picked up the purple gem. "It's a Revival Gem. The only one of its kind, and it never expires. It can revive anyone within twenty-four hours of death," he explained breathlessly. Mitch turned to the sitting hellhound. "Claw, when did you get this? And how?"

Claw, who looked so proud of himself, barked twice.

Whatever Claw said made Mitch's and The Count's expressions drop.

"It was that easy?" Mitch muttered.

"_**How could I be such a fool?"**_ The Count questioned rhetorically in a quiet voice.

"A snack...in the forest...He found it as a _snack_ in the _forest_...and he didn't know what it was until it burned his stomach?"

"_**It must have sensed the corpse of Master Demonii. What a lucky hellhound Mister Claw is…"**_

"So you can revive Adam?" Jerome asked, becoming a bit impatient like the rest of the team.

"Yeah," Mitch replied, walking to the top of Adam's ripped open torso. "I can."

Mitch knelt by the opening of Adam's chest wound. He seriously wondered if the Revival Stone could handle such a death. No more blood resided in Adam, and his torso was barely hanging on. Krokoro really did a number on their leader.

With a deep breath and a quick prayer to whatever god was out there, Mitch dropped the Revival Stone into Adam's chest cavity. The Count, Mitch, and the hellhounds jumped off of Adam's body, not wishing to be crushed should Adam actually wake up.

If Adam could breathe again...If his heart could beat once more…

_Bum-bum. Bum-bum. Bum-bum._

The deep thumping of a courageous demon bird heart sounded once more, and the team had never heard such a beautiful sound. Even the sound of flesh and bone connecting once more rang nice in their ears, despite the disgusting idea of it. Soon, rumbling was heard, dust kicking up as the once chilled corpse began to move. The large form of a demon bird stood once the dust died down, those glowing orange eyes looking warmly down on them. The bird began to shrink down, and, in a flash of black light, their leader stood, tall and, most importantly, _alive_. That smile had never soothed their souls more than it did now.

Adam didn't even bother to berate Mitch on disrespecting orders, that could be for later. As Kyle stumbled tiredly and bleary-eyed next to The Count, all Adam could do was just take Mitch into a hug, silently thanking him for bringing him back to life again. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that death had affected Adam mentally, after all, he had _died_ and couldn't save his team, left them alone, his biggest fear. But they would be there for him. They were a team.

**::::TWO MONTHS LATER::::**

Adam clutched his chest tightly as he transformed back, stumbling and gripping a nearby boulder for support.

"_**Master Demonii, perhaps we should rest for a short while. This is too much exertion for you to handle so soon."**_

"No…" Adam grunted out. "It's been two months, Count. I should be ready by now."

"_**Might I remind you,"**_ The Count started. "_**Your chest was half-ripped out of your body. You lost every drop of blood you once held. No one should be ready within two months, not even I. These phantom pains are not uncommon."**_

"But the Revival Stone-"

"_**-revived you,"**_ The Count finished. "_**It did not heal every ailment you have."**_ The Count sat back on his haunches and straightened his spine. "_**Tell me, Master Demonii, how have you managed to hide this pain from your highly trained team members, especially Masters Axhel and Crock?"**_

"I try not to move too much around them. I also pull back a bit from hugs."

"_**You avoid chest contact?"**_

"Not completely but enough."

The Count shook his head. "_**Master Demonii…You are sincerely hopeless."**_

"Well, that's just rude." Adam took a deep breath. "Count, again."

The Count sighed. "_**If you wish."**_

**::::THREE DAYS LATER::::**

"What do you mean you're training with Grey?"

Ashley's outraged question rang through the base, ensuring everyone inside heard it.

Adam winced. "Ash, it's four in the morning. Everyone is sleeping, and you just woke them up."

"Good! Maybe they'll agree with me when I say _you're an idiot, Adam!_" Ashley shook her head. "It's been two months, two _hard_ months, to say the least, and you're already back to the training that has you exhausted even when you hadn't died?"

Adam flinched. "Could we _not_ bring up my death experience? Thanks."

"_Adam,_" Ashley growled. "You're not going _anywhere. Go back to bed_."

"Ash-"

"_Now._"

"Last time I checked, I gave the orders around here."

"Last I checked, I could still call The Count on your ass."

"He wouldn't care. I've been training with him myself."

"_YOU'VE BEEN WHAT?!"_

"Ash, it's not like that!"

A scream of pain.

"Oh my God, Jason!"

"Ash! What's going on?!"

"Get down here now! Help me get Adam to med bay!"

**::::FOUR HOURS LATER::::**

"_**What happened here?"**_ The Count demanded, stepping into the base's Lounge.

"Ash and Adam got into an argument a few hours ago about him going for training with General Grey," Ty answered. "We don't know what caused it, but Ash said when Adam got louder, he gripped his chest and screamed. We all heard it."

"_**Where are Masters Crock and Hertz?"**_

"Med bay. They said Adam should be waking up soon. They're just keeping an eye on him. You can go on up though."

The Count nodded at the offer then nodded to the team in a greeting that he hadn't immediately given. He trotted up the flights of stairs to the med bay on the third floor. He thumped his tail on the door of the med bay as a knock and impatiently waited for the door to open. He was angry with Master Demonii.

'_Honestly, what had he been thinking?'_

The door opened, and Master Crock greeted him with a smile. Master Crock gestured him inside.

The Count padded in and could immediately see the pain etched on his face. No words were exchanged, none needed to be said. The Count would let _Master Demonii_ explain rather than himself.

Adam groaned in pain. His chest was killing him. What did he do to himself? All he remembered was him raising his voice a little bit during a little spout with Ashley before pain then blacking out. Was it because he raised his voice?

Adam's eyes flickered open, and he winced at the bright light. It dimmed down to a dull glow almost immediately. There was a hand on his shoulder, ready to help him sit up. Placing a hand on his chest, Adam let Mitch help him sit up straight. Directly in front of him was The Count.

"Oh shit."

"_**Wise words, Master Demonii. You are fortunate I learned to control my patience centuries ago."**_ The Count clearly wasn't pleased.

"It's not like that."

"_**If training with myself was difficult, why would you believe it smart to continue extra training with General Grey?"**_

"It wasn't going to be physical work, more mental than anything. Even Grey wanted me to take it easy, but I still have a job to do. He offered just mental work until I recovered."

"_**Mental training, Master Demonii?"**_ The Count sounded concerned. "_**You informed me that you were 'fine," and I did not believe you, but I cannot force you to do something you do not wish to do. Tell me, why did you feel the need to lie?"**_

Mitch and Jason had left the room. For that, Adam was grateful.

Adam rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't really."

"_**You refused mental training with me, but you took General Grey's offer. You told me you were fine, but you told General Grey you were not. Is that not a lie?"**_

"No...No, it is…" Adam sighed. "I just didn't want to put that on you, too. You were dealing with me trying to fight. You didn't need to deal with my emotional problems as well."

"_**Master Demonii."**_ The Count's voice was soft. "_**I would not have offered if I did not wish to help you. Make no mistake, you are not a burden. You have gone through a great deal of pain and trauma. Do not think for a moment you are alone in this. We are here for you. Now, let us see your team. They are very worried about you."**_

And that was final. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Yet Adam was okay with that. He would listen to The Count. The Count would never lie to him like that. He trusted the elder werewolf with all his heart.

"Okay," Adam agreed.

It was slow progress, but The Count was patient. He waited for Adam to stand and was beside the overwhelmed leader for support. Adam had a tight grip on his fur as they walked, but he was used to it. Each team member tended to do this during major injuries or pain.

Upon reaching the Lounge, the team's attention immediately broke off from small talk to Adam, who looked, for a split second, completely stressed out before looking calm and collected. The team waited for Adam to explain why he was gripping his chest and The Count's fur so tightly.

"Ever since Easter night," Adam started. "I have these chest pains from where Krokoro…" He cleared his throat. "Um, ripped my chest out." The team flinched out of remembrance of the broken flesh strands. "Grey and I agreed that I get psychological help if I wanted to get better. That's why I was going to Grey this morning."

"Adam, if you needed help, you could have just _told_ us," Tiff sighed, shaking her head. "We can help you. It's what we're _here_ for."

Adam looked down. "I know. Thank you."

Nightmares were going to come, and, right now, the team knew Adam wasn't okay, but he would be. They would get through it. They always did.

**Hope you guys all enjoyed that chapter! If you did, please leave a review! It would be greatly, greatly appreciated! Until then, stay safe, take care, God bless, love you, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**


	23. Trust in Me

It was a week after Adam had told his team about his chest problems, and he hadn't really been much better. Where his chest was once torn out, a thin scar had followed, starting from the middle of his left rib cage and going in a jagged, curved line to his right. He hardly got sleep anymore. Krokoro was always in his mind, killing him again. He finally understood how Mitch felt. He wasn't sure he ever wanted to.

Adam grabbed his chest in pain and bit back any sound of agony that Jerome or Ty might catch. His torso was killing him. The pain was a burning sensation mixed with pins, needles, and knives. Was there a painkiller invented that can soothe pain after a person's torso had been ripped open? Adam seriously doubted that.

He didn't know what he should do with himself. Should he find Mitch? Maybe he should find Jason. No. It couldn't be that bad. Maybe just side effects that he had to get used to after a bit. Hopefully, it would all go away in a few more months. A couple of weeks would be great, too, but Adam thought that would be pushing it based on the way progress was now.

He glanced to his right. On the nightstand beside his bed rested a silver whistle. If he should blow on that whistle, a noise too high-pitched for people to hear would sound, and only supernaturals with advanced hearing could listen for it. That would wake up half of the base and forest right now. So how could he tell The Count he needed help?

He really couldn't. He could hardly breathe, so moving was definitely not an option. Hopping out of his window was even stupider. He'd just have to pray that The Count could read minds in his sleep.

Just as Adam tried to lay back down again, a soft clicking sound was heard at his door. Sure enough, the handle turned downwards, and The Count strolled into his room. The elder werewolf nudged the door closed with his nose quietly before trotting over to Adam's side.

"_**I had a feeling you may need some assistance, Master Demonii."**_

Adam couldn't laugh, could barely manage a small smile. Still holding his chest, Adam whispered, "Yeah. You could say that."

The Count eyed him in concern. "_**This appears to be more than some simple chest pain, Master Demonii. The Revival Stone merely resurrects souls. It does not heal them completely. Therefore, you must not stress yourself too much so soon. Your body is too fragile at this moment."**_

_Fragile_. Adam hated that. He was often bedridden, but when he was, he shouldn't even think about moving.

Such as now.

"Count, I can't be bedridden like this. It's been two and a half months," Adam protested quietly, but even he knew how weak he sounded.

"_**Master Demonii, you must rest your body. It cannot handle the stress you are exerting on it,"**_ The Count urged.

"By just sitting?"

The Count nodded. "_**Even the smallest of actions require movement from muscles. The pectoral muscles in your body cover most of your torso. These muscles control your shoulder movements. You must not lift objects. Washing your body can become a hassle. Dressing yourself will become painful. I urge you to seek help from team members."**_

"I couldn't ask that of them." Adam looked down at his lap. He continued to hold his chest even though his arm was tiring.

"_**And why is that? After all you have sacrificed for them, this is task the team certainly would not mind."**_

"It's dumb."

"_**It's **__**tragic**__**,"**_ The Count corrected. "_**You are anything but 'dumb,' Master Demonii, so do not think of yourself of any less than smart. A soldier and friend of your caliber should not have to endure such difficult times, but it occasionally happens. Yet you tend to forget you are not alone. Out of everyone, Master Hertz can relate too closely. He understands your situation."**_

The Count gently nudged Adam's shoulder. "_**Now, please, Master Demonii, rest. I will reside beside you."**_

**::::THE NEXT MORNING::::**

When Adam woke up, he did not expect breakfast in bed. When Adam woke up, he did not expect three teammates surrounding his bed. When Adam woke up, he didn't not expect painkillers and a glass of water at the ready.

"What the hell?" Adam murmured tiredly, causing the other three to grin. Those smiles faded, however, when Adam winced, grabbing his chest instinctively as he tried to sit up. Ty used his one free hand to help support Adam's back.

Jason handed Adam two pills for even the slightest amount of comfort, and Ty gave him a glass of water. Adam swallowed the pills down as Mitch placed his breakfast on the nightstand, trying to avoid stepping on the sleeping werewolf of the floor. Adam had tossed his warm blanket over The Count last night and slept with just his comforter.

"This is...different," Adam muttered. "But thanks."

"No problem," Jason replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Thought we'd just say 'good morning.'"

"Bull," Adam snickered. "But I'll pretend like you mean it."

The three had the decency to look abashed.

"We just wanted to make sure you're okay," Mitch admitted. "I can tell you firsthand that this isn't easy."

Adam winced as he shifted. "Yeah. I could have told you that one. I'll be okay though. Once my chest pain goes away, I'll be fine."

"Don't act like we don't know you have nightmares, Adam," Ty said, looking at his friend.

"Well, when you put it like that, I sound like a kid scared of the monster under his bed."

"And you should be," Mitch answered. "You went through something traumatic. You actually _died_, and thanks to Claw, you're alive. I got away from a group of Alayliths with broken ribs, a bad ankle, and an infected bite. I had nightmares for a while. Your chest was _torn out_. It's a natural thing that you refuse to accept."

Adam flinched. "Why do we have to keep flinging around the fact that I died? I get it. It's not like I'm going to forget."

"No, you won't forget," Jason agreed. "But neither will we. We lost you, Adam, and even though it's was less than an hour, it was the scariest time in our lives yet. We had to think about a world without _you_, and it wasn't exactly a pretty road to go down."

The Reaper sighed. "This chest pain isn't something you should just underestimate. It is an actual problem that you have to take care of. You might not want to be on bedrest, but that's best for you."

"Meaning," Ty added. "No more training, Count or Grey, until you're better. No moving around. If you need something, we'll get it. If you need help walking to and from the bathroom, you call for us. Don't act all embarrassed about it."

"That _is_ embarrassing," Adam deadpanned.

Ty shrugged. "Yeah, but we all had to deal with it at one point or another. But do you understand, Adam? We're doing this for you and because we care."

Adam nodded, sighing. "Yeah, I understand."

Jason got up. "Good. Now eat and we'll be downstairs if you need us."

The three of them left the room.

"Don't say a word, Count."

A small chuckle was the reply.

**::::THREE WEEKS LATER::::**

"Watch it, Adam," Jason warned. "It's been a long while since you've been on your feet like this."

Adam, Jason, and Mitch were all gathered in Adam's room. The chest pains had begun to dull down about a week ago and had completely stopped yesterday. It had been three weeks since Adam walked without help, so it was a bit harder than usual.

Adam was shaking from the exertion, and the other two males saw his patience wearing thin fast.

"Adam, relax," Mitch reminded. "This isn't easy."

"Yeah, I got that," Adam snapped back. He closed his eyes and sighed immediately after. "Sorry."

"That's fine," Mitch waved off. "Just focus on what you're doing."

Adam looked down and slowly started to push himself up, holding onto his nightstand in a tight grip. He was shaking so much from holding up his own weight, Mitch had to help balance him. Adam completely missed the look Mitch gave Jason. All he knew was that the Reaper left the room with a small smile to Adam.

Soon after, Adam found himself being sat down once more. He didn't want to sit down. He'd been sitting down for _three weeks_.

"Mitch, what are you doing?" Adam questioned, uncomfortable with the way Mitch was handling this situation. Adam should be walking, not sitting. The hunter ignored him and sat right next to Adam.

"Adam, remember when you guys found me in the dark forest this close to death?" Mitch asked, holding two fingers together with only a small gap between.

"Yes…" Adam answered slowly. He didn't like to remember that night. He would never forget it.

"How did I look?"

Adam did _not_ want to answer that question. Mitch had looked terrible. Deathly pale, soaked in blood, infected wounds...His injuries became so complicated that Mitch had suffered from sepsis. His temperature had spiked, his heart rate went up, his breathing became faster, and they had no doubt he had abdominal pain if his midsection hadn't been bitten.

"Mitch, you already know what you had-"

Mitch cut Adam off. "I know what I _had_, but what did I _look like_ when you found me?"

Adam hesitated. "Your, um, you abdomen was already infected when we got there. You had three rows of bite marks, and your left ankle was swollen from twisting it. You were a bloodied mess."

Mitch tried not to show his disgust or pain in remembering that. "And how long did it take me to recover?"

"A couple of months…" Adam saw where Mitch was headed with this.

Mitch smirked. "You see where I'm going with this, don't you?"

"Yep."

"When that twisted ankle would barely let me walk for almost four weeks, who helped me?"

"I did," Adam answered quietly.

"And when those broken ribs hurt me during the night, who was there with painkillers and a glass of water already in hand?"

"Me…"

"_And_…" Mitch continued. "When I woke up from nightmares, who was there beside me?"

"I was…"

"So why are you any different?" Mitch asked. "Why can't we be here for you like you are there for us? What makes you so insignificant that you don't deserve help? When have we ever seemed so cold to you that you thought, '_Nah. They wouldn't help. I'm already a burden.'_ When, Adam? When did you think we would hate you?"

Adam shrugged, suddenly finding the floor more interesting than Mitch. "I dunno...It's just always been that way."

"It should've changed years ago, Adam, when you first met us. When you first met Ty and Jason, me and Jerome, Red and Barney, Idrys and Jin, Ross and Max, the whole team...It's no longer just you in the world, Adam. You have friends around you to be there for you," Mitch sighed. "Let us help you, dammit."

It took a minute, but Adam finally nodded. With a smile, Mitch stood up and held out his hands. Adam accepted, and Mitch slowly pulled him up. For a moment, Adam rested almost all of his weight on Mitch, but the hunter held him steady. Gradually, Adam began to shift his weight so that he could hold his own self up. It took a few minutes, but Mitch was patient. Soon enough, Adam was standing on his own with little to no support from Mitch.

With a grin, Mitch teased, "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

With his own smirk, Adam replied, "You're right. It was difficult as hell."

Mitch rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's just go see the team."

"Wait, what?! I'm not ready for stairs!"

"Adam!"

**And that was supposed to be Day Four's chapter. Sorry it had to be postponed. I was hit with two migraines yesterday instead of one. Sorry about that. Day Five will be up later. Until then, stay safe, take care, God bless, love you, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**


	24. Ember: Between Power and Pain

**Ember: Between Power and Pain**

Kyle shot up in his bed and clutched his abdomen. His eyes were wide with pain. His hair faded from pink to brown, and, had he not shaved his mustache off earlier that night, that would be brown, too.

There were whispers in his head, but he couldn't make out what they said. The whispers were saying something, but Kyle figured they were unclear.

His head began to pound, pain bouncing off the walls of his skull. Kyle laid himself slowly back onto the bed, one hand on his forehead, and one wrapped around his abdomen. He closed his eyes shut. Kyle had the last room in the hallway, and in the room to his left was Ty's.

He needed someone. He needed someone _now_. He couldn't do this alone. So, in a quiet whisper as to not agitate his migraine, he called, "Ty."

Within seconds, Kyle heard rustling of blankets and a door opening. Kyle's door was opened, and Ty slipped inside, shutting the door behind him.

Kyle just barely heard Ty whisper "Shit" before moving quickly to his bedside. Kyle could feel the bed dip down as the werewolf sat behind him.

It was all so clear to Ty that Kyle had a headache, but how to help him, Ty didn't know. Maybe "headache" was an understatement.

Kyle let out a small cry of pain.

Definitely an understatement.

Ty laid a gentle hand on Kyle's shoulder. He looked so _different_. Just the night before, he was okay. He has his normal pink hair and mustache, but now he was clean shaven _and_ a brunette. However, Kyle looked, dare Ty say it, _better_ with brown hair.

"Kyle," Ty whispered, his voice nearing silent. "Can you tell me what's wrong?"

"T-Ty," Kyle stuttered, pain laced in just that one name.

Ty squeezed Kyle's shoulder. "Yeah? What's wrong, Kyle?"

"The voices...make them stop…" Kyle was nearly crying, and Ty would be lying if he said he wasn't scared.

"What voices, Kyle? It's just us here," Ty replied soothingly, sincerely hoping Adam would hear them. If Ty was being honest, he didn't really want to deal with this alone. As selfish as it sounded, the werewolf was confused, never mind scared. He would've liked Adam or Jason here. Ty wasn't exactly the most calming or emotional guy in the group.

"I know that," Kyle whimpered. "I know it's in my head, but god damn it, it _hurts_ and hell if I know how to get rid of this monster inside me."

Ty froze. "Kyle, are you talking about the dragon you turned into weeks ago?"

"Yeah...the dragon…" Within the pain, Kyle spat out the word "dragon" with such malice, Ty couldn't help but wince.

"Has this happened before?" Ty questioned softly. If Kyle had a migraine of this kind more than once, there was probably a routine Ty could follow and help the younger male through.

"Yeah...I normally lay like this until it passes...but I never had one of this extent before," Kyle groaned weakly, any hint of anger from before gone.

Ty's heart broke. "You just..._lay here_? Kyle, has this happened in the three years we've lived in the base?"

"Yeah...Every month…"

Kyle felt Ty's calm grip on his shoulder tighten and knew he had dealt a blow to the werewolf. He really hadn't meant to, it wasn't intentional, but he should've known how Ty would react. The team didn't take too kindly to hidden pain, even Kyle. It was ironic, really. They got upset with each other for hiding injuries when each withheld pain themselves.

"Kyle...why the _hell_ didn't you tell us?" Ty asked, sorrow and slight anger evident in his voice.

"It's not like I meant to...When it comes, it just comes, and when it does, I can't do much until it passes. After that, it isn't worth talking about anymore."

Ty supposed it made sense, but it didn't help the situation at all. As a matter of fact, it made this ordeal ten times worse. Kyle suffered _alone_. Every month, too! The team was supposed to help each other, not leave each other to hurt themselves!

Ty's thoughts couldn't go on when he heard Kyle moan in sheer pain. The brunette curled into himself, one hand gripping his hair, and the other wrapped tightly around his abdomen. Ty slipped a hand into the one Kyle had around his midsection. Ty was strong, and his pain tolerance was high, but he supposed it hurt more when it was someone you loved who caused your pain because when Kyle gripped Ty's hand tighter, the werewolf could've sworn Kyle broke his hand. Either that, or Kyle used his own strength, which was equivalent to Ty's.

Ty squeezed back and realized that maybe holding Kyle's hand wasn't the smartest thing to do. Now the younger male wasn't going to let go, and Ty couldn't get anything to help like aspirins or a cool washcloth.

So, even though he felt terrible about it, Ty did the one thing he could do. Speaking softly as to not disturb Kyle, Ty called, "Jerome, Adam."

Ty could hear blankets rustling and doors sneakily opening and closing. He heard two pairs of footsteps shuffling quietly down the hall and towards Ty's room. Hearing his bedroom door open, Ty was about to tell them where he was when Jerome spoke.

"Ty, where the hell are you?"

"Kyle's room."

Ty picked up a slight hesitation - the two must've been looking at each other in confusion - before the pair came into Kyle's room.

Upon seeing Kyle shaking on the bed and Ty trapped in said male's grip, their faces turned to worry and concern. Adam closed the door as Jerome crept forward.

"What's wrong with him?" The Bacca asked, standing next to Ty. He looked genuinely concerned and not even remotely upset about being woken in the earliest hours of the morning. Jerome rarely got upset, but even Ty thought this might be pushing it. Jerome seemed to prove him wrong, though.

"He has a really bad migraine. He says he's hearing voices and even started talking about the dragon inside him, or rather, 'the monster,'" Ty answered, wincing slightly when Kyle squeezed his hand in his already tight grip.

Adam had seated himself at the foot of Kyle's bed, hand rested on the younger's ankle. The demon looked at Ty. "He's hurting you with that grip, isn't he?"

Ty smiled sheepishly. "Can't be worse than what he's going through."

"Does he have aspirins? Or a cold washcloth?" Jerome questioned, rubbing in between Kyle's shoulder blades, trying to ease the tense muscles that were possibly making the migraine worse.

"No. It's what I called you for," Ty responded. "He won't let go of me, so I can't get anything for him." Jerome and Adam nodded in understanding.

Adam stood. "I'll go get him a glass of water from downstairs. I'll grab us water bottles, too, I guess?"

Ty nodded. "Yeah. It's gonna be a long night."

"I'll go grab a washcloth and aspirins from his bathroom," Jerome offered. Ty nodded. Adam left to downstairs while Jerome left to the bathroom.

Ty let out a small hiss of pain when Kyle tightened his hold even _more_. Ty, to distract himself from the pain, began to massage circles on Kyle's lower back. It wasn't long until Kyle let out a small cry of agony, not even a moan.

'_It's getting worse,'_ Ty thought, biting his lip. He was about to call Jerome when he heard,

"Shit, Kyle, you son of a-"

Jerome cut himself off and stepped out of the bathroom, small black case in hand. At Ty's curious look, Jerome opened the case to reveal four syringes with clear liquid in each of them.

Ty's jaw dropped. "Are you _fucking_ kidding me? Are those drugs?"

"Certainly looks like it," Jerome replied, voice blank and devoid of emotion. The male was clearly conflicted on how he should feel, and Ty didn't blame him. "But let's not jump to conclusions. Maybe it's a form of medicine for something. Let's wait for Adam before making any rash decisions."

Ty nodded in agreement. Jerome couldn't be more right. What if it was just medicine? After all, Kyle did say these migraines were monthly.

At that moment, Adam decided to show up, glass of water in one hand and three ice-cold water bottles in the other. He gently kicked the door shut and was about to set the waters down on Kyle's nightstand when he laid eyes on the black case in Jerome's hand. His eyes immediately narrowed.

"What is that?" Adam interrogated, anger seeping into his voice, nearly growling. Jerome and Ty looked at each other, worried for what might become of Kyle if the dragon bearer really was taking illegal narcotics.

"Adam," Jerome warned calmly, eyeing their leader with a look that said, "_I dare you to disturb him. I effing dare you."_

Adam took a deep breath in an effort to relax. Jerome and Ty waited patiently, not wanting to say anything that might set the demon off, especially when Kyle was in such a fragile state.

It was quiet in the room for a moment as Adam tried to relax. His teammate, basically his _brother_, may or may not be taking drugs. If he was, Adam didn't know what he would do. He was concerned for Kyle, he really was, but he couldn't convey that over the anger he had for himself. If Kyle really was relying on getting high to solve his problems, what kind of leader, what kind of _brother_, would he be? It was a silent promise that the team would always be there for each other, but Adam wasn't there for Kyle, and that was what pissed him off.

Adam was snapped out of his thoughts by Ty's small grunt of pain. He looked down at the duo's intertwined hands to see Kyle almost cutting off the blood circulation in Ty's hand. Kyle was shaking as though he was freezing but sweating as though he was burning hot.

Upon noticing this, Jerome left the black case on Kyle's dresser and went back into bathroom. Adam heard the faucet turn on, but the water didn't connect with the porcelain sink. Instead, it was a muffled sound of water landing on cloth. The faucet was then shut off, and cabinets were being opened and closed.

While Jerome was rummaging around the bathroom, Adam looked at Ty, who was clearly uncomfortable with the amount of pain in his hand. Adam so badly wanted to ease both of their pain, but he couldn't.

Jerome walked out of bathroom, cold washcloth and aspirins in hand. Ty gently shook Kyle, very gently, in an effort to get the younger male to open his eyes.

"Kyle, you need to open your eyes for us," Ty whispered. In response, Kyle gave a small whimper, curling in on himself even more, not opening his eyes.

"Do we even have his temperature?" Adam asked, calmer and more controlled than he was before.

Jerome shook his head. "Don't have a thermometer."

"_What?_" Ty exclaimed softly. "How do we _not_ have a thermometer?"

Jerome shrugged. "Last one we had, Mitch broke it."

"When was this?" Adam questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"When he was recovering from the Alayliths," Jerome responded. He waved his hand in dismissal. "Anyways…" The Bacca grabbed the case from the dresser and held it out to Adam, who was on the side of the bed Kyle was facing. "Check if this is his medicine or...you know…"

Adam glanced at the syringes warily before finally sighing and taking it, though not all gentle. Jerome pursed his lips; Ty merely shook his head. Adam was going to need to control himself, no matter the answer, especially since Kyle couldn't take even the quietest of whispers.

Adam lightly touched a syringe. It was cold underneath the touch of his own cold fingers. Adam had a sick feeling holding the stupid case. Having been wandering the streets as a child, Adam had seen his fair share of drug addicts, alcoholics, pedophiles, and criminals. Thinking that Kyle may be one of them made Adam want to vomit.

But he sucked it up and gently shook Kyle until the brunette opened his eyes. The pain...the pain in Kyle's eyes was all too clear and all too heartbreaking. Adam was so unfamiliar with his teammate being in such agony that he could barely move until he realized Kyle was eyeing the black case in his hand.

"Kyle," Adam whispered in a careful voice. How could he ask a question like this? "Is this...Is this medicine or…?" Adam trailed off, unable to finish.

Luckily, he didn't have to continue because Kyle seemingly understood. The brunette's eyes widened, only to flinch and shut them again when it only caused his head to throb even more. The voices in Kyle's head were getting louder, and the dragon bearer was having trouble deciding if they were in his head or actually whispering in his ear.

"N-Not...drugs...p-promise…" Kyle answered quietly, only to whimper in pain when his own voice set alarms blaring in his already pounding head.

The three friends flinched at the sound of Kyle's whimper. The male was going to hate this when it was over. This whimpering, the death grip on Ty's hand, the near tears...Kyle was going to hate it all looking back on this night. He hated it now.

"Th-They're...meds...regular...migraines…" Kyle choked out, curling into himself tighter and gripping Ty's hand again.

The pain, oh God, the pain. Was he seriously acting like in front of Adam, Ty, and Jerome? Really? Kyle felt like he was dying, but he was also embarrassed. Where were his priorities when he needed them?

"Regular migraines…?" Adam asked. Jerome and Adam slowly turned their heads to Ty. The werewolf had failed to mention this fact.

Ty had the decency to look apologetic. "Yeah. He told me he gets them every month."

"And what does he normally do?" Jerome asked, wondering just what else Ty didn't tell them.

At this, Ty frowned. "He just..._lays here_." Ty sounded as though he guilt tripping Kyle, but he wasn't really trying to. He was just angry. Luckily, Kyle didn't really seem to be listening.

"He lays here, and we don't notice?" Adam asked, annoyed. "We are the three with superhuman hearing and not one of us hears this or realize that he isn't in the Lounge with us? Are we seriously this blind?"

Jerome huffed. "Yeah, I guess we are. Dammit." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Kyle…"

The dragon bearer didn't answer. His body was shaking, and it was all too clear that Kyle was _not_ okay.

"Adam, he said that was his medicine," Jerome remembered. "Where do you give him it?"

"Why isn't Jason here?" Adam whispered sadly, putting his face to Kyle's mattress.

"Cuz Jason's only there when you don't need him," Ty muttered.

Adam and Jerome had to stifle their laughter. Freaking Ty. Every time.

"I'll go wake him up," Jerome said, walking past Adam. "He deserves to wake up. I don't like that guy."

Ty and Adam had to refrain from laughing.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Adam snickered. "Kyle's in pain and we're laughing. Ty, shut up."

"I'm sorry," Ty whispered, barely controlling his laughter. "Oh, God, Kyle, I am so sorry."

Kyle wasn't paying attention to them. His surroundings were completely blurred and all he felt was pain. Ty and Adam felt so bad for laughing, even though they weren't, but they blamed Jerome.

It took a moment, but Jerome finally returned with Jason in tow. The tired Reaper stumbled in behind Jerome, who was leading him by the elbow. Jason rubbed his eyes tiredly. If Jerome, Adam, and Ty were being honest, Jason looked like a tall child. He was wearing a shirt that suddenly became too big for him - which was a huge concern -, his hair was a bit of a mess, but not so much, his big blue eyes were glassed over from being woken up, and his fingers barely poked out from his sleeves. The sweatpants he was wearing were baggy, and Jason just seemed small in general.

"What am I doing here?" Jason muttered.

"Keep your voice low. Kyle has this really bad migraine," Jerome whispered.

"Where's his medicine? Shouldn't he have some?" Jason questioned, lowering his voice even more. The Reaper took in the sight of Kyle's shivering form. It was obvious Jason wasn't liking what he was seeing.

"Right here," Adam answered. He held out the black case of syringes to Jason. The brunette took one of the syringes and an alcohol wipe from the case.

"He needs to uncurl himself. I can't give this to him if I can't reach his navel," Jason informed, sighing. He wasn't going back to sleep after this. Wait, since when was Kyle a brunette? How tired was he that he missed that?

Ty gently began to push down on Kyle's knees, silently telling the other that he needed to let Jason work with him. Lucky for them, Kyle responded and uncurled himself, allowing Jason to lean over and pull up Kyle's shirt a bit. Jason wiped the targeted area with the alcohol wipe. He waited for Kyle to relax his muscles before plunging the needle into Kyle's navel and injecting the clear liquid. After, Jason took out the empty syringe and placed it on the table, pulling down Kyle's shirt.

"And that's about it," Jason yawned, stretching his arms. "You just have to make sure his muscles relax or it'll hurt him."

"What now? How long does it take to work?" Ty asked.

"I mean, it doesn't get rid of the migraine completely, it just dulls it. From here, Kyle will be able to talk some more, but too much noise or light will hurt him and make him nauseous. At this rate, I'm shocked he hasn't thrown up yet," Jason replied. "It'd take a couple minutes to finally work, but it'll be well worth it. It'll still be killing him, just not as much."

The other three nodded. Since Jason was already awake, he sat against the wall under Kyle's window and waited with the others. There was not much else to do but just sit there and wait for the pain to pass.

If there was one thing Team Unlimited hated...It was waiting.

**::::TIME LAPSE::::**

"Rise and shine, sleepy head," a voice greeted warmly. Now that his head didn't hurt anymore, Kyle could actually stand normal voices again.

"Shut it, Adam!" Another voice hissed. "We don't know if it's actually gone away yet!"

Adam? Kyle could have sworn he had only called for Ty last night...Oh, wait. Nope. Adam, Jason, and Jerome were here, too. Adam had asked him if he took drugs...Of _course_ he wouldn't take drugs. Well, technically he was, but they were perfectly legal!

...He has a prescription.

"Well, he's not writhing in pain like last night."

Kyle wanted to shrink on himself at Jerome's blunt statement. How badly had he embarrassed himself last night? As a matter of fact, Kyle didn't want to remember.

"I didn't realize he was a natural brunette," Jason commented. Brunette? How did-? Oh yeah...The dragon hated Kyle's pink hair color, so every time the stupid beast gave him a migraine, it would change his hair color back to brown. Jerk.

Kyle cracked open his eyes to see his black-out curtains drawn to block out all sunlight. The lights were still off, and it was almost completely silent except for the other team members downstairs getting ready for breakfast. When the other guys saw Kyle awake, they smiled and got up to check on him. They looked so tired. Why hadn't they gone back to bed?

"Why are you guys still here?" Kyle cracked out, his voice rough from an equally rough night.

"Because you needed us," Jason deadpanned.

At this, Ty and Adam started cracking up while Jerome merely grinned. Jason and Kyle stared at them in confusion.

"Did I miss something?" Jason questioned, glancing at Kyle, who shrugged.

"Nope. Not a thing," Jerome responded quickly, not letting the other two answer. It wasn't as though they _could_. They were laughing way too hard.

"Idiots…" Jason muttered. He turned to Kyle. "How you feeling?"

Kyle pushed himself into a sitting position. He put his hand in his hair and responded, "Honestly? I feel like hell, but I'll be okay. This is normally always how I feel after a migraine."

And it was true. Although the migraine would be gone, his body ached from contracted muscles, unused or moved for a long period of time. His eyes would hurt from being shut so tightly through the night and would have to adjust to being open again. He would feel light-headed, and, more often than not, later in the day, Kyle would feel nauseous, typically throwing up about an hour later, maybe less. It wasn't exactly a pretty sight, but it tended to happen very often.

"Speaking of which…" Adam started slowly.

"No, no. We're not talking about this. No." Kyle replied bluntly. They were _not_ going to talk about this.

"Nope. We are." Adam could be seriously aggravating sometimes. "Three years we've lived together, Kyle, and you didn't tell not one of us that you had these migraines, that you have this dragon _talking_ and giving you migraines. There are so many problems here that we haven't talked about. _Three years, Kyle_. Three. Where did this seem like a good idea?"

"It just happened like that, Adam. How do you just bring up in conversation, 'Hey, you know that dragon I turned into a couple weeks ago? It tortures me mentally and physically. Good talk.'"

The faces of the other four paled at the word 'torture.'

"That bad?" Ty asked quietly.

"I mean, you saw me last night. It gets really bad. It's painful as hell. After it's over, how do I mention that? How do I tell someone I suffer from chronic migraines?" Kyle countered tiredly.

"You know what?" Jerome started, nodding. "Fair. Fair."

The others stared at him. Kyle hid a smile at the diversion.

"What? Dad's right. Migraines...Fair. He's gotta do what he's gotta do," the Bacca shrugged.

Adam shook his head. "Okay," he answered, standing. "But next time, you get one of us."

"Okay," Kyle agreed. "Okay."

"By the way, Kyle," Jason piped up. "Your hair...It's brown?"

Kyle pulled at his hair, looking up to see brown strands like he had assumed. "Uh, yeah. Before mom died, her favorite color was pink, so I dress it and dye my hair pink in remembrance of her. But the dragon hates pink so much, it tends to burn away the pink hair dye and turn it back to brown. I have to buy so many boxes of it and try to convince Tiff to help me redye. But since I have to redo it every month, I'm just going to keep it brown and buy a pink bracelet or something."

Kyle looked back down to see the other guys looking away. "What?"

Jason took a deep breath. "That's so nice of you…"

"I have done much of nothing for my parents…" Jerome muttered.

"I hated my parents…" Adam growled to himself.

"My parents hated _me…_" Ty thought out loud.

Kyle's face dropped. "Uh…You guys okay over there?"

"Mom...Is that you…?"

"Uh...Jerome…?"

"There's my bastard father…"

"ADAM!"

**That was Day Five's chapter! Soon will be Day Six and Seven's chapters! Day Seven's chapter is gonna be one to look out for! Until then, stay safe, take care, God bless, love you, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**


	25. Monster That I Despise

**Monster That I Despise**

Adam rubbed his eyes tiredly as he walked down the dim hallways of his home. It was six at night on a Tuesday. He had just finished a particularly tough training session. It was a virtual reality training simulation, and it was about the team and Adam's inability to save them.

No.

He _refused_ to think about it. As much as he wished for his mind to avoid the dreaded day, those gunshots and screeches echoed his mind, followed by screams and snaps of bones. It wasn't real, it wasn't _true_, but the reality of the situation scared him. Adam knew the possibility of the simulation occurring was dangerously high, especially to Mitch and himself. It _already_ happened.

Adam shook his head slowly, exhausted and drained. He just wanted to curl up in bed and sleep, even if it was only six.

Upon approaching the stairs, Adam's enhanced hearing picked up the sounds of laughter and lighthearted conversation. He paused.

His team, his friends, his family. Everyone he had left in this world. They were all just a few rooms and a couple hallways away. The lonely side of him just said to leave and go to sleep, but the family side of him said to put his own needs and desires aside for his team, and Adam was a big family man.

Adam blinked away the tears of his torn heart and headed straight for the Lounge. He heard Jerome yell something lighthearted at the TV in Spanish. Adam's will crumbled.

Tiff, Ashley, and Mitch had mentioned that on Tuesdays, they learned Spanish from old novella reruns while he was gone. It wasn't that they didn't want to spend time with him, at least he hoped not, but rather the fact that the novellas played only on Tuesdays, and he was gone those days unless he had a mission for them.

_Unless he had a mission._

Curse this life. His sleep was plagued by night terrors. His time was taken up by extreme training or missions where he or his team were nearly killed. Adam needed serious help, but as the leader of the Unknown, it was his job to become stronger so that the day's simulation didn't become a reality.

But how strong he must be, Adam didn't know.

Taking a deep breath, Adam couldn't help the smile that spread across his face when he saw his friends strewn about the Lounge, all looking to the flat screen TV above the fireplace. Mitch and Tyler had installed it New Year's' Eve and got rid of the old, junk one, a pleasant surprise to them all.

The TV was playing some show with what seemed like a Spanish version of Judge Judy. Whatever it was, the team was entranced by it. Even Adam leaned against the left side of the doorframe and began to watch the show, although he didn't have the same knowledge as the others. With his arms crossed and left ankle over his right, it took all of his will not to fall asleep right then and there.

It was Jerome who saw him first.

The furry Bacca turned in his seat to say something to Jason, who was behind him, when he took notice of the team's leader.

"Adam, you're home early!" Jerome greeted, a smile on his face. Everyone else turned in their seats to face Adam, bright grins on their faces.

However, it didn't take much for Adam to see the guilt in their eyes. The guilt of hanging out without him, the guilt of having fun without him, and the guilt of not being there when the extra training got too rough.

Adam didn't blame them though. They all had the right to free time, Adam included, since relaxation time was so hard to come by. Their job wasn't easy, and they rarely got recognition for it, but even if they had a choice, Adam didn't think they'd trade their job away. It was like an addiction, and old habits die hard. The team would miss the adrenaline rush. They'd be stuck in a boring old job. And most importantly, they wouldn't be a team anymore.

They wouldn't be a _family_.

And that's what got them through the mess they called "Life."

Adam settled for a smile, fixing his posture so he was standing straighter and no longer leaning against the doorway. "General Grey and I finished early, so he sent me home. We could've done more, but he didn't want me to continue."

"Why not?" Ashley questioned. Adam never came home early before, so the fact alone that he was standing right in front of them was setting off alarms in everyone's heads.

Adam didn't know how to answer that question. What was he supposed to say?

"_I had a mental breakdown after a training simulation where we were attacked by a horde of Alayliths, and all of you were eaten with body parts strewn across the desert, and I watched it all happen. Therefore, General Grey sent me home because he didn't want me to continue and wanted me with people who would keep an eye on me to make sure I don't do something stupid."_

Adam shrugged. "Beats me. I could've kept going, but the general's getting older and more paranoid each day. Probably thought we were overworking."

Kyle raised an eyebrow. "If he thought you were overworking, then you probably were," the brunette countered.

"It's only overworking if I can't do anymore. I'm not stupid. I scold you guys all the time about overworking. I think I know my own limits," Adam pointed out kindly, none too harsh.

The team stayed silent at that. It was true. While Adam wasn't the smartest guy on the team, he was still pretty intelligent and had more common sense than the average person. When they were training with each other, whoever was paired with Adam could have an extremely rough yet easy time. Adam was a hard person to fight against - whoever faced him expected to lose - but Adam would let them take breaks every few routines and rest up before trying again.

"Okay. We trust you," Jason replied, trying to avoid any argument.

That hit Adam hard. Any other day and Adam would've replied with a wink and a little joke, but today, Adam barely mustered up a tight smile and said nothing.

Jason, Mitch, and Ty didn't frown, but the others did. Their concern was showing much more than the other three, and, with Adam, that wasn't necessarily a _good_ thing.

Jason, Mitch, and Ty understood very well Adam's feelings, more than their other teammates. As team leader, Adam felt as though he was supposed to be relied on, not him relying on others. Being the most affectionate, trustworthy, kind, and responsible person on the team, everyone went to him for advice and reassurance on their problems. Of course, with Adam's convoluted thinking, their leader thought he couldn't talk to anyone else about his struggles, which was completely false.

Adam raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"What's going on, Adam?" Ashley questioned softly, eyeing Adam concernedly.

"Nothing's wrong…" Adam replied slowly. He pushed himself off the wall and pulled himself semi-straight. "But I am tired, so I'm going to slee-"

A loud crash echoed from outside that had Adam out the door in milliseconds, the team following him.

The team stopped at the edge of the base's quartz stairs. Trees were collapsing deeper in the forest, and, based on the direction of the destruction, whatever was knocking the trees down was coming straight for them.

Ty just barely caught the bright flash of orange from Adam's left eye when their leader was nowhere to be found. All they saw was a flash of black; a stray black feather falling slowly to the ground, much slower than its original owner.

Jason whipped out his scythe, and the others were about to rush into the forest when a large object came flying out of the forest. The large object landed right in front of them, nearly crushing Kyle. The team members coughed as the cloud of dirt and dust puffed up around them, blurring their vision and making their eyes water.

Once the cloud disapparated, the team caught the sight of the one true death omen, a sight Adam made sure they had never seen.

Adam was careful with his death omen form. A demon bird like Adam went by several names such as "Death Raven," "Skeleton Key," "Grim Raven," and many others, but Adam had never said a preference, so they called him a demon bird as a general category of a type of demon. And Adam's species were called these names for a _reason_. Demon birds of this kind in their death omen forms were terrifying. A person knew they were looking at Death's pet without even truly knowing it. But here it was: Adam's true form right before their eyes.

Adam's feathers were ruffled and sticking up around his neck and down his spine. Black and grey smoke was emitting from around his talons, puffing up to surround the demon below Adam's feet. His talons pinned the demon to the ground, digging so far into the skin that black blood was seeping from the wound holes. The force of smashing down trees weren't enough to even bruise the demon's skin, showing how nearly impenetrable the skin was, but Adam was powerful enough to not only break skin, but to pierce and crush organs.

Adam's eyes were burning orange and red, and his beak blacker and sharper than before. There was such a furious and savage look in Adam's eyes that the team never had and never wanted to see. He looked so animalistic. Never had they thought of Adam as such a demon as they did now.

Death omens were anything scary now: Black butterflies, deathwatch beetles, solar eclipses, three knocks on a door, and so on and so forth. But Adam was the one true death omen, the original. Every name it was ever called related back to the reason why he was feared.

He was the symbol of murder, pain, loss, and dread.

The demon roared in Adam's face, a deep bellow that rocked the ground, almost a challenge to Adam despite the fact that Adam was winning this fight. Adam's screech pierced their eardrums, and the team had to crouch down and hide their ears in an attempt to keep their brains from bursting inside their heads. His wingspan was splayed out to its full length, forced to point upwards in an effort not to push through the base's walls.

His glossy black feathers were sharp, ready to launch out in a sharp knifed feather storm. Those wings were capable of more than just attacking. The powerful gusts of wind Adam's wings produced could knock over the largest of enemies like a paper domino.

Dark storm clouds began to gather around above Adam and the forest. Between his smoke and fog and the darkness, Adam's glowing eyes were all the team could see, and that was terrifying enough.

"Adam…" Ashley whispered, her voice clouded with fright. The team didn't disagree with her.

The team knew Adam heard her, but her voice hadn't registered in his deadly mind. Instead, all that spoke was the demon below Adam.

"_**You are nothing to me,"**_ the demon growled before unleashing a large bellow.

"_**I believe it is the other way around."**_

The team froze. That wasn't Adam. Adam's voice was nowhere to be found in that demonic voice, not even a hint of it like it normally was. What was going on?

The demon roared in Adam's face and struggled beneath him uselessly. Adam glanced at the team from the corner of his eye, and they saw a hint of regret in his eyes. After that, Adam whipped back up dust and dirt with his wings to block their vision. It didn't really help. They heard the demon screaming, the bones crunching, the flesh ripping. When the dust cleared, all that was left of the demon was a mass of bloodied and broken bones, a mangled mess of a corpse, insides turned to the outside, organs visible to onlookers. The predatory bird was stained red, the malicious animal look in its eyes, and the team only thought of this legend as an it because even though that death omen can turn into a human, that _wasn't Adam_. Adam did not kill like that, and they never heard those Latin words come out Adam's mouth.

Yes, they knew about the spell, the spell Adam recited out of remorse. The demon bird in front of them never said it. That wasn't Adam. No matter the demon, Adam always took pity. So why was this any different?

That blood-stained monster tamed. Its feathers went back down, and the red in those normally orange eyes disappeared. The remorse filled his eyes as he watched the demon begin to disappear, black particles radiating off of the parts disintegrating. It was too late to chant that spell now; the corpse was already leaving. It needed to be exactly after the kill. The demon would come back a demon, not an animal. Adam had missed his chance, but that wasn't Adam. The team refused to believe that.

Adam had caught the sight of the demon's inverted corpse, and he could feel the blood dripping off of his wings. It wasn't exactly the feeling he wanted to have after turning back after losing his mind to the monster he was. The Skeleton Key, Grim Raven, Dark Shadow, _whatever he was_...It had gotten to him. He would be damned if it happened again. He had worked hard to make sure the team never saw that side of him, and although he was grateful that the monster in him kicked up dust for cover, he wasn't happy that the team saw the quick and disgusting work he could make of enemies. Adam's monster was an asset, a great one, but he was a monster either way.

He turned back into his human form just as the last bit of the demon disintegrated. He was sure the team could see his horrified expression, but he didn't want to see theirs. He knew what they looked like, but he didn't want to see it to be a hundred percent sure.

"Adam…?" Tyler started slowly.

"I'm going," Adam bluntly stated before transforming into a normal sized raven and disappearing into the destroyed dark forest.

"Not what I had in mind…" Mitch muttered. "I had never seen a demon bird of his kind actually attack like that. It was different than I thought."

"What did you think it was going to be?" Ty asked quietly, still staring at the crater the demon had made when Adam had thrown it towards them.

"Not like that."

"I didn't even know he _could_ do that…" Jason replied.

"We need to find him," Tiff said. "He could get hurt in there if he's not paying attention!"

"He'll be okay," Jason answered. "Give him time to cool down. I'm sure he didn't mean to show us any of that."

"Okay…"

**::::TIME LAPSE::::**

By the time Adam returned to the base, it was no longer six thirty at night but eight. He had been gone for nearly two hours. He was breathing heavily from the long flight. It was relatively safe. He hadn't encountered any threats. Many demons tended to hide every time a raven similar to Adam's structure passed by. They didn't want to die just yet. Maybe another day.

His head had to be cleared. He needed to tell the team about today. He needed to tell them what really happened, but he had no idea how. He thought the team would have noticed the way he flinched at loud noises, how he'd freeze at war topics, how he left the room when medical terms popped up. He thought they'd notice. Maybe not.

Walking into the base seemed to be a struggle. Adam first stepped into the kitchen, praying to anyone that there was no one inside. Thankfully, there wasn't. He grabbed a wash towel hanging on the oven's handle and wiped the sweat off his face. He dropped the dirty towel in the sink before leaving. He contemplated walking into the Lounge and facing the team again. He knew he had to. He could hear them talking in the Lounge. He began to listen in.

"When's Adam coming home?" He heard Ashley ask. He bit his lip, waiting for the answer.

"I'm not sure," Jason sighed. "But I hope soon. It's getting dark out. Too dark for comfort."

"You'll see his timer right?" Adam heard Jerome question.

"Yeah, but I'd prefer not to."

"Well, duh. I know _that_."

"So why'd you ask?" Mitch countered.

"Just curious."

"You want Adam dead, don't you?" Ty joked, but Adam actually wanted to hear the answer.

"Ty! Of course I don't! God, you are all nasty! Just nasty!"

Adam let out a quiet breath. Well, at least they weren't pissed at him for earlier. Now if he could just muster up the courage to tell them what he needed to…

Alright. He was going to do it. It would be very difficult, but he was going to do it. Maybe…? He was, wasn't he? God damn it.

With a deep breath, Adam stepped into the Lounge. The talking ceased as the others turned to their leader.

"Adam, you're back!" Ashley exclaimed, tackling her leader into a hug. Adam stumbled and barely caught himself from falling.

"Oh...Hey...Ashley...Special occasion or do you just love me that much?" Adam joked, though he really wasn't in the mood to. He wanted to build up the atmosphere before tearing it down again, trying to ignore the fact that he became a _monster_ right before their eyes, that he left for nearly two hours.

"I love you that much."

"How cute. Did you hug the others the same way? I don't know how I feel about being your next choice."

Ashley faked a gasp. "Adam! I would never! You're my one and only. My true love!"

"Good. I don't know how I'd feel about you hugging a werewolf."

"OH THAT'S JUST RUDE!" Ty called.

"I HEART YOU, BAE!" Adam shouted back.

"YOU'RE LUCKY I STILL LOVE YOU, DARLING!"

"Was there a relationship in this base that I didn't know about?" Kyle questioned.

"Two, actually," Jason answered. "I was in Adam's room last night."

"Wait, is this actually real?" Tiff asked. "Are my OTPs actually a thing?"

Ty rolled his eyes. "No, Tiff. They are not actually a thing. It was a jo-"

He was cut off by a loud boom in the air. Adam froze at the sound. It sounded all too much like the explosions in the training simulation. The explosion that had wiped out two of his teammates: Tyler and Jerome. God…

Ashley felt Adam freeze between her arms. She looked up at the pale face of her leader. She was about to ask him a question when Tyler cut her off.

"Oh, yeah!" He exclaimed. "The Veterans' Day fireworks! Forgot about those."

"It's not Veterans' Day," Jerome pointed out.

"Well, no, but they do it today so that families can spend time with their war relatives tomorrow."

"Are fireworks really a good idea?" Mitch questioned. "I mean, with PTSD and all?"

Adam unfroze at the word and stepped in before anyone said anything else to continue the conversation. "That's actually what I need to talk to you all about." The team looked at him curiously.

"What do you mean?" Kyle asked.

Adam sighed. "Training today with Grey was different. It's been a couple months since I...died, and he wanted to see if I was ready for another mission like that again. He knows I've been training and talking with The Count, getting help, but he wanted to see if I could actually handle seeing Krokoro again." Adam had to clear his throat.

The team didn't dare say a word to interrupt their leader.

"It didn't go very well."

The team had a collective intake of breath at that.

"I...had a hard time fighting. You all died...I did, too." Adam felt Ashley hug him tighter. "It wasn't the best experience afterwards. Luckily, only The Count and Grey were there, but it wasn't supposed to end like that nonetheless. We all thought I was ready for it." Adam took another deep breath. It was getting hard to stay calm.

"I talked to Grey and The Count afterwards. They wanted to send me home, but I needed to talk to them first. We found that I suffer from PTSD as well, just like those veterans," Adam finally announced, but he didn't do so loudly. The others had to almost strain their ears to hear that statement, and after they heard it, they wished they didn't.

"I talked to Grey and The Count and I told them that…" Adam struggled with his words. "A new supernatural will be coming in to take my place as leader."

"_What?!"_ The team chorused, clearly unhappy with what Adam just said.

"What do you mean by a 'new leader?'" Mitch demanded, almost angry at what was happening.

"We don't _need_ a new leader!" Jerome agreed. "We have you!"

"Adam, you have to be joking!" Ty said, a laugh of disbelief in his voice.

"Adam, this is actually insane!" Tiff cried out.

Yeah...The team definitely was upset.

Adam sighed. "As soon as we can find a replacement, I will be leaving Team Unknown. I will teach the new leader how this team works, what my job is here, take down my room, make sure they're comfortable here, then I will be taking my exit out that door."

"What? No!" Kyle snapped. "Why the hell are you leaving?"

"Because I don't think I should lead anymore, guys!" Adam replied loudly to be heard over the angry outcries. "If I can't even keep myself from dying or help myself from PTSD, I can't keep you guys safe!"

"Adam, that's so not true!" Ashley argued. "You've saved our asses more times than we can count!"

"Ashley, I was healthier then. I'm worse now," Adam retorted. "I didn't have a mental disorder coming into this. I hadn't died. I hadn't had such a responsibility like this. I hadn't had eight other people to take care of, to protect. I didn't have that. And suddenly I did, and I had to fight for almost four years! My job is to keep you from dying, and what I did just a couple hours ago isn't going to help!"

Adam saw the team ready to deny it, but he cut them off.

"Do _not_ act like you weren't afraid of me. _Don't_. You were terrified. I saw it. Until we get a new member, we've decided to ask Ty as second-in-command to step in to secure the spot as leader. I won't be coming on missions or anything like that," Adam informed. He was so tired. He just wanted to sleep. It'd been a long day.

"Adam, no. You _cannot_ leave like this." Ty shook his head in denial. "I couldn't become leader like this."

"And I didn't want to have to leave like this either, but things don't always work out like we want them to," Adam responded bluntly.

Ashley released her hold on Adam's waist and stepped back. "And what about _you?_" She asked. "You said it yourself. You suffer from PTSD. You're not meant to be alone with that. It could become dangerous. Where do you go once you leave? Back to the forest? Back to Belladonna? Adam, you'd kill yourself."

Adam figured it was best not to answer with the first thought that came to his mind. "I'll be going back to Hell's Forest and live there-"

"Oh hell no, you're not!" Mitch growled. "There is no way I'd allow you to live in Hell's Forest. Might I remind you, King Thorne caused several orphans to be murdered there. I watched it happen, too. You think I'd let you go in there _alone_, knowing what could very well happen to you?"

"I'm not expecting you to just let me go, Mitch," Adam started lowly. "But I'm not asking for your permission either."

Mitch stood. "There is no reason you should be leaving."

"I think I gave plenty."

The two males were speaking to each other in very calm voices, but they were more controlled anger than anything.

"If we feel safe in your hands, Adam, I don't understand why you're so paranoid."

"It's not paranoia. It could very well happen, Mitch. If Claw hadn't eaten that Revival Stone, where would we all stand now?"

"But he did find the Revival Stone, so don't act as if he didn't. Adam, we wouldn't function under someone else's command. They wouldn't how we work."

"That's what I'd be training them for."

"You can't train someone to be emotional, sentimental, understanding, and everything that you are."

"Kind," Jerome piped up.

"Trustworthy," Jason added.

"Reliable," Ashley commented.

"Dependable," Tiff continued.

"Patient," Ty remarked.

"Charismatic," Kyle described.

"Compassionate," Tyler finished.

Adam turned his head away. "It doesn't really matter what you say at this point. It's already been decided. Grey and I are meeting with the Global Leaders Organization and the C.I.A. tomorrow morning to search for candidates. It can't be changed, even if I wanted to." He began to leave the room. "Night, guys."

No one could bring themselves to reply, but Adam didn't really notice.

The team was already forming a plan in their heads. Adam was _not_ leaving his team just because he feared for their safety. He was a damn good leader, and he saved them several times.

Adam kept them alive more times than they could count. It was time they returned the favor.

**::::TIME LAPSE::::**

It was six o'clock in the morning when Adam woke up. The now soon-to-be-ex-leader got up from his bed and stretched. He quickly grabbed clothes from his dresser and rushed to the bathroom to get ready.

As he showered, Adam couldn't help but think of how nice it was for the team to stand up for him like that, but PTSD was a real issue that should not be taken lightly. Adam would not risk hurting them like that. While The Count and Grey didn't really agree with him, they had no choice but to oblige. This was Adam's choosing, even if it was a stupid idea.

After clothing himself and brushing his teeth, Adam turned into a raven and flew as fast as he could towards the military base. He didn't want to be late. This meeting held _extremely important_ people that Adam would never want to disappoint. He had one or two meetings before with the C.I.A. and the G.L.O., but they were always so uptight and serious. It kind of bored Adam.

Just before he exited the forest, Adam turned back into a human and strolled into the clearing where the base was held. Pushing open the front doors, Adam felt his heart start to race as he looked for the right meeting room.

He was actually going to do this. Adam was actually going to quit the team. He was no longer going to be able to see them again. Being a part of Team Unknown meant no one knew about you. Red, Ross, Max, and the others only knew about them because they were normal civilians and it would be so difficult for enemies to find them. When Adam officially quit, however, his memories of them team would have to be erased. This way, he would never be an accidental threat to the supernaturals. No enemy would be able to torture information out of him because Adam wouldn't have any.

He was actually going to leave.

Adam finally arrived at the door. With a deep breath to calm his heart, Adam pushed open to door to reveal an almost empty meeting room. Inside, Grey, The Count, and the team all sat down at the large, round table. The anger and annoyance was very clear on Adam's face.

The demon bird stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him. As he did so, the others felt the anger radiating off of him, and the team couldn't help but wonder if they would see the one true death omen again. They really didn't want to.

"_**Master Demonii, good morning,"**_ The Count greeted politely.

"Morning, Count," Adam gritted out through his teeth. "What is going on here?"

"Well, the C.I.A. Board of Directors and G.L.O. agreed that if you had a support team, it would be beneficial for you to remain with the Unknowns," Grey answered.

"I don't have a support team," Adam replied, clearly still annoyed.

"I can't believe he actually just said that," Kyle whispered.

"How could you not? It's Adam," Jason whispered back.

Adam glared at them. "They're teammates, not my therapists, Grey."

"Well, I actually got a degree in psychology," Mitch muttered.

"You're a doctor?" Jerome asked quietly.

"I said I had _a_ degree. I didn't say _which_ degree."

Grey ignored them. "It was good enough for the C.I.A. and G.L.O.. You also have me and The Count. We're not teammates."

"_**Master Demonii,"**_ The Count began, standing. "_**Might we walk outside for a moment?"**_

Adam nodded, still pissed, and followed The Count out the door. Upon reaching outside, the two hid in the comforts of the dark forest before continuing their conversation.

"_**I understand why you wish to leave the team. I have made a similar decision before,"**_ The Count sympathized.

"So then why are you against-?"

"_**It was one of the worst decisions of my life, Master Demonii,"**_ The Count finished, interrupting Adam. "_**I have lived for many, many years, and the decision to leave a team of mine, a **__**family**_ _**of mine, happened to be one of the worst decisions I have made. I believe that makes quite a statement. Master Demonii, do not do this. You will regret it."**_ The Count sighed softly. "_**However, if you do choose to leave the team, at least stray from Hell's Forest. Please, I invite you to stay within my home alongside myself. Please."**_

The Count really didn't take to begging often, and Adam couldn't just do that to him, and if he was being honest with himself, he absolutely did _not_ want to go back to Belladonna Kingdom and Hell's Forest. He had memories there that he didn't want to relive. So many memories…

"I don't know what to do, Count," Adam whispered, his voice breaking. "I don't want to hurt them, but they don't want me to go. It's like they want me to get them killed."

"_**Perhaps, it is not that the team would like you to kill them, but the fact that you would protect them."**_

"What do you mean?"

"_**The team has a belief in you, one that I have never seen in my time living. Their trust in you is extraordinary. The team has this view of you being some kind of saviour in their eyes. It is unlike I have yet seen. I have seen trust, but none like this. Master Demonii, your team believes in you. You will not kill them. Your Skeleton Key would have done that for you."**_

Adam's eyes widened. "Who told you about that?"

"_**No one. You should know by now that there are not many secrets you can keep from me."**_

"I don't know why that came out. I didn't want it to, I didn't _ask_ it to."

"_**Your demon side does not care,"**_ The Count answered. "_**If it believes that you are incapable of controlling your emotions, or that you are unfit to fight, it will take control of you and fight more for its life than yours. It reminds me of a beast I once encountered…."**_

"And what happened to that 'beast?'" Adam asked. If he and his demon reminded The Count of another beast, then maybe Adam could have a shot at a better ending.

The Count gave him a knowing look, a twinkle in his eyes that made Adam feel uneasy. "_**That demon got along with its human form. They have become a strong yet benevolent duo. If you ever meet these partners, know they are on your side. Take this lesson from the pair, your demon can be asset, a very strong one, a very powerful ally, one of the best you will ever come across, if not the best. Master Demonii, your post-traumatic stress disorder, your demon would not let it overcome you. It knows your heart. It has never come out since that fateful day with your sister. You have kept it dormant for years. You make it feel **__**safe**__**. If a paranoid and sometimes malevolent demon feels safe with you, you must be a special person, Master Demonii."**_

The Count had this small smile. "_**I can tell from experience that you are. You have a magnificent soul, Master Demonii. Do not waste it."**_

Adam tapped his shoe into the ground. "How do I talk to him? How do I get to understand why he didn't kill my team when he had the chance? You said it yourself, he's malevolent."

"_**Visit me in my mountain tonight, Master Demonii. You will spend the night there. The mountain I reside in has a more spiritual connection. You will have an easier time speaking to your demon there. For now, let us return to your team."**_

Adam nodded, and the two began to head back into the military base. He had this fluttering feeling in his chest, almost as if he had butterflies in his chest rather than his stomach. He knew it wasn't a butterfly though.

Upon entering the meeting room once more, he could see the worry in his friends' eyes. Adam knew his decision.

Rolling his eyes, Adam said, "Fine. I'll stay."

**::::TIME LAPSE::::**

_Why wasn't the day over yet?!_

It seemed like years since he first talked to the team this morning during the meeting. Now it was _finally night_, and Adam was beginning to head out towards The Count's cave.

"Where ya going?" Jerome asked, catching Adam leaving as the Bacca exited the kitchen. "Thought you said you'd stay."

"Well, not tonight," Adam replied with a small grin. "The Count wants to have a sleepover."

"Oh, that's just adorable. Are you guys gonna cuddle, too? If you are…" Jerome gave him a knowing look. "I might have to take a picture."

"Okay, well, that's weird, but make sure you send it to Ash and Tiff and confirm their OTPs are dead."

Jerome laughed. "Yeah, okay, deal. Bye, Dad!"

"See ya, Furry!"

Adam left the base.

'_Wait...Dad? What the…?'_

**::::TIME LAPSE::::**

"_**If you would just sit here, Master Demonii…"**_

"Count, it's just a circle of candles with a pentagram in the middle."

"_**Are you not a demon?"**_

"I mean, I am, but I'm not the Devil either."

"_**Master Demonii, I have done this a plethora of times. It has worked each time. Sit down here."**_

Adam sighed and sat down in the middle of the pentagram. The Count better not use him as a Devil sacrifice. The red pentagram began to glow.

"_**Close your eyes, Master Demonii, and breathe. He will come to you."**_

Adam closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It wasn't long until Adam suddenly heard a voice in his head.

"**Human...You have finally decided to summon me. What a pleasure it is to finally talk."**

That voice...That was the voice that spoke yesterday. A deep, rumbling voice that crackled like fire underneath. He spoke deliberately, confidently, letting Adam know that the demon was, indeed, stronger. As if Adam didn't already know.

"_Who are you? What is your name?"_

"**Settle down, human. I will answer your questions. For now, answer me this: why did you wait so long to talk to me? You have heard me before several years ago."** The demon paused. "**Were you too afraid?"** There was a hint of laughter and satisfaction in his voice.

"_No! I...I didn't know how. I wanted to know why you killed her, why you killed her but not my team."_

"**Did you want me to kill your little friends? I can if you would like."**

"_No! Stop twisting this around! Why did you kill Jaq? Why did you kill her like the rest of Slope Village?"_

"**She was chasing us."**

"_She didn't want to hurt us! She loved us!"_

"**She loved you!"** The demon roared. "**She loved you, not the demon inside. If she saw me, she would hate you like everyone else. No human is different."**

"_Tyler is...And so was Jaq!"_

"**Tyler? That little weakling on your team? The one that holds you back every 'mission' you go on?"**

"_He is a damn good fighter!"_

"**Only because he has me to back him up. Oh, and by the way, stop calling me a demon bird. That is such a general category. I prefer to be called any of my names but that."**

"_Tyler is no weakling, but fine. Any name specifically?"_

"**Well, my more common name is Cheorm. The Count would recognize that name."**

"_Do you know The Count, more than you've seen him?"_

"**Yes. Before you were born, and I was tied to you, The Count and I were...Well, it's a long story. However, you asked why I did not kill your friends. The reason is...Your team actually fights for you, unlike Jacqueline. They understand you, and even though they fear me, which they should, I am to harm them. Unless, of course, if they try something stupid."**

"_You seem to go back on your word a lot."_

"**I am working on my trustworthiness."**

"_So...Cheorm…"_

"**Yes?"**

"_The Count called you malevolent. Is that true? Would you rather kill me than work alongside me?"_

Adam felt the demon rustle around inside him.

"**No, that is not **_**entirely**_ **true. Before I was tied to you, The Count and I were very close, partners, really."**

"_Romantically?"_

Cheorm laughed. "**At one point, yes. A witch had cast a spell on us back when we were much younger. So, technically, yes. The werewolf and I were romantically involved for a moment, but the spell was quickly resolved within the week. It was a bit uncomfortable after that, but a funny joke nonetheless."**

"_Cute."_

"**If you say so. Then, one day, I was brought with an offer, an offer far too good to pass up. I wish I had, however."**

"_What happened?"_

"**Lucifer himself came to me. Grim Ravens like me are his pets, the Grim Reaper's, too. He told me that if I killed a certain werewolf, I would be able to stay free from his grasp forever, allowing me to continue alongside my best friend for eternity. Blinded by this wondrous offer, it had never occurred to me that I was sent to kill one of The Count's kind, perhaps even his wife."**

"_No…You didn't."_

"**I did. The Count was angry. He attacked me, nearly tried to kill me. My chest still has ghost pains from that. The Alaylith attack you suffered from did not help in the slightest. It was one of the reasons I could not come to your aid. From there, I never saw The Count again...until I was tied to you."**

"_You have a tragic background."_

"**If you believe that was tragic, perhaps you should not hear the rest of my story. Either way, I would save it for another time. I accepted your summons to tell you that yes, I will fight alongside you. You have earned respect from me with your leadership, your selflessness, your humility. You are a strong leader. Your post-traumatic stress disorder will not get the best of you. For the first time since The Count, I can say that I am here for someone, that I will not fail them I have learned from my mistakes, human. You will be okay so long as I am around, and I won't be going away. You can lead, people can rely on you, you can soothe others, but someone like you deserves help as well. Make peace with yourself before you make true peace with me."**

"_Okay...I will."_

"**When you start to believe in yourself, come back to this pentagram, and we will talk once more. From there, we will unlock abilities such as speaking without the pentagram. Go now, human. I will see you again soon."**

"_I'll come back soon, Cheorm."_

"**Human?"**

"_Yeah?"_

"**Tell The Count that I am sorry."**

"_Of course."_

With that, Adam opened his eyes to see The Count lying on a blanket in the corner of the dimly lit cave. The werewolf was reading a book, holding it open his paw and turning pages with his nose. When Adam stood, the red pentagram stopped glowing, and flames on the black candles went out. All that kept the light in the cave were torches on the walls. The Count looked up before moving his paw off the book. The book shut closed.

"_**Did everything go well?"**_ The Count asked, standing and walking over.

Adam nodded. Suddenly, he felt really tired. Adam swayed, and had The Count not caught him, Adam would've face planted onto the floor.

"Yeah, it did," Adam whispered, closing his eyes as the elder werewolf lowered them to the floor. The Count could barely hear Adam's next words.

"Cheorm says he's sorry."

Although he could feel The Count tense up, Adam drifted off to sleep. Because he was still in the pentagram, the demonic symbol and candles lit up once more. That deep, rumbling voice that crackled like fire underneath spoke deliberately, confidently...quietly...again.

"**Good night, Adam."**

The glows flickered out, and Adam had the best sleep in a long, long time.

**This was supposed to be Day Six's chapter. Day Seven is coming right up. Sorry for not posting yesterday and missing my four year anniversary. A death in the family came up, so I apologize for that. After Day Seven, I will try to see if I can get up a Veterans' Day chapter up. Until then, stay safe, take care, God bless, love you, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**


	26. A Place Where Kids Shouldn't Go

**Hello my Mortem Venators! I am so sorry this took so long to get out! This is the last chapter of Updating Week, which is Updating **_**Season**_ **at this point. Now, this chapter took so long because I really wanted to share this with you in its best form since this has been on my mind often lately. The kid in this story is one half of my conscience, and the team is my other half. This chapter will explain everything. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. R&amp;R!**

**TRIGGER WARNINGS: Contains death, first degree murder, mental disorders, child abandonment, graphic descriptions, non-graphic torture of a minor, swearing, previous arsonry, mentions of PTSD, and orphaning of a child.**

**IMPORTANT: This is my first real attempt at a crime chapter so please bear with me. I try to explain as best as I can in the chapter what happens. I apologize if it gets too confusing.**

**A Place Where Kids Shouldn't Go**

The room was grey and cold. Bianca didn't like it. She was alone. Her body hurt so much. Tears were streaming down her face. It hurt so much.

The nice man told her to stay here in this scary room and that he would be back soon, but it had been _forever_, and she was getting scared.

Mommy and Daddy weren't here to hold her. When she asked the nice man where they were, he said that they had left, and that they would be gone for a while. The man's face had been wet when he said that.

"_Well, where'd they go?"_ Bianca had asked. The wind had been cold, but the heat of the car they were in warmed her up. She had been hurt and in pain while they were driving, too, but the nice man didn't help were leaving a very big and scary forest to a place she didn't know. Mommy and Daddy weren't in the car.

The man took _years_ to speak again. If she told Mommy that, Mommy would have laughed and told her to '_be patient, Bianca. It was only a minute.'_

"_Mister?"_ She asked, calling for his attention.

The man cleared his throat. His eyes were focused intensely on the road even though they were at a red light.

"_Your parents, Bianca...They went to a place where kids should never go."_

Went to a place kids shouldn't go? How'd they leave? Last time Bianca saw her parents, they were still in bed, lying in a pool of red.

* * *

Adam opened the door to Ty's room, still yawning and eyes tired. It was four in the morning, and he had just gotten a call from Grey that called for the team's attention. Now he needed to wake the others and get to their destination as soon as they could. Being that Ty was the second in command for the team, Adam felt that he had to wake Ty first. It was the agreement Ty made Adam promise to when the demon bird first asked Ty to help him with the team.

Adam laid a gentle hand on Ty's shoulder and shook lightly. "Ty, rise and shine. Work to do and demons to kill."

The quiet snort of tired laughter from Ty made Adam smile. "That's the best morning greeting I've ever heard," the werewolf replied sarcastically, his voice still a whisper after just waking up.

Adam snickered. "Let's hope the others think the same. We gotta wake 'em up."

Ty groaned in sympathy for the others. They had gotten back from another mission just a day ago. Yesterday, they had been recovering and taking care of Jerome. The Bacca had been particularly beaten.

"Can't it be just us?" Ty asked, sitting up. Adam moved out of his way, so his friend could stand.

Grabbing Ty a shirt from the dresser, Adam tossed it, replying, "I wish, but Grey said for all of us to come."

Ty caught the shirt and slipped over his head to cover his bare chest. "Damn it." He sighed and looked at Adam. "Alright. I'll get Ashley, Tiff, Jerome, and Kyle."

"Guess I'm grabbing Tyler, Jason, and Mitch," Adam replied, stretching his arms above his head.

The duo walked out of the room and went to wake the others. As he walked, Adam had a tight feeling in his chest that this one was going to be particularly difficult, and he didn't want to tell the team what they were going against.

* * *

"The damn sun isn't even up!" Tyler complained as they walked out of the house together.

Adam laughed. He was first out of the house, and Jason was in the back. "We've done this God knows how many times, and you still complain? Jay, since you're the last one out, can you lock the door?"

"Yeah," Jason called forward tiredly.

"Yeah, I'm gonna complain. If we're gonna save the world again, can the sun at least say '_good morning! Have a good day!'_ to us!" Tyler shot back.

Now Mitch laughed. "Yeah. Okay, Tyler. Keep dreaming," he answered, slipping his Ruger out of its belt as they entered the forest.

"I can't," Tyler retorted. "I keep getting woken up in the middle of it."

Chuckles chorused throughout the team.

"Anyways, now that Tyler's done complaining-"

"I'm not!" Tyler growled, cutting Jerome off.

The Bacca rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "What are we up against, Adam?"

After the past couple of years Adam had been doing this, he had gotten extremely used to telling the team their missions, but this one was different. It was so different from their other missions. The drill was still the same: know the mission, investigate, narrow down suspects, find the demon, kill, go home. It was simple, instinct at this point, really. But this mission…It struck too close to home.

The team couldn't really see the uncomfortable look Adam had on his face since he was in the front of the group, but Mitch did. Standing next to their leader, Mitch saw Adam's unease.

Mitch turned his head to the team, his face telling them something was very wrong. The team looked at each other warily. They never liked that look on Adam.

"Adam?" Jason called cautiously.

Adam cleared his throat. "This case is going to be a little different."

His voice was still and unwavering, low and serious. He was no longer in the greatest of moods, but he was going to have to tell the team sooner or later, and they preferred sooner much rather than later.

"What do you mean?" Kyle pressed gently.

His voice grew colder as he spoke, and the team couldn't help but wonder just what Adam was thinking. "We're going to be investigating a young girl. Her parents were murdered in their room, lying in a pool of their own blood, but there were no lacerations, no wounds. They were just...sleeping. The daughter, Bianca Hills, was found alone. Authorities took her to the police department," Adam informed.

"How old is Bianca?" Ashley questioned. Ashley and Tiff were the designated child handlers. It wasn't as though the guys were bad with kids because they really weren't, they loved kids, but children seemed to adore Ash and Tiff more.

"She's five and barely understanding what's going on around her." Adam was growing angry, but the team knew it wasn't directed at them. They could see their leader beginning to tremble. This was information they needed to know, though, and they needed it now, so that they could be up to date and ahead of the game.

There was silence.

Mitch turned his head to look all the way back at Jason. The reaper nodded. The team members looked between the two, wondering just what they were thinking.

Jason spoke first. "Where was she found, Adam?"

Adam stilled but didn't say anything and didn't stop walking.

Mitch placed a hand on Adam's shoulder, forcing everyone to stop. Jason looked like he was ready to teleport between the two. Everyone was silent. Even the forest seemed to listen in.

"Where was little Bianca when the police found her, Adam? What happened?" Mitch questioned softly.

Adam's voice was uncharacteristically quiet. Half of the team had to strain to hear him."She...She was found alone in a forest cave, beaten, bruised. Her wrist was fractured, a few broken bones, and a sprained ankle. The blood on her hands was tested in a DNA lab. It was her mom's. She was missing for three days. But these idiots…"

Adam's shoulders began to shake, and his voice started to crack. "Grey told me how they sent this guy, Detective Jacob Williams, to question her. He was under strict orders not to take her to the hospital. She was taken, _half_-_dead_, to the police station for interrogation. It's illegal and inhumane, yet they called for our help. Grey only accepted because of Bianca. She's their main and only suspect."

"_What?!_" Kyle growled in anger. "A broken, traumatized five-year old girl is their _only_ suspect?! And they called for our help after how they treated her? How incompetent are these bastards?"

"This mission is insane!" Tiff scoffed. "The nerve of these people! And they're the local police, too! The ones who are depended on to do what's right! What kind of example are they setting?"

Adam chose to ignore the following outraged comments bouncing between the team. He felt the same, and it was best to let the supernaturals vent before they reached the Magma Block City Police Department. Magma Block City wasn't exactly known for its low crime ratings. Adam supposed the police department was no exception. What a shame. The city's defenders are its attackers.

'_What has this world come to?'_ Adam sighed.

Mitch let his hand slip off Adam's shoulder but didn't say a word. The team's voices were still going on behind him. His concern was more focused on Adam. The demon looked so put out, tired, and just plain crushed. He rarely saw such a look on Adam, and he didn't like it.

"Adam," Mitch whispered. Out of the corner of the corner of his eye, Mitch saw Jerome's ears perk up for a moment, but his ears relaxed to show that he was giving them their space and was no longer eavesdropping. It was a tactic Adam, Ty, and Jerome were working on. Since they couldn't control their supernatural hearing, they have been trying to control what they do and do not listen to.

Adam gave him a little hum in response. He wasn't up for much talking.

"Adam, what's going on?" Mitch questioned softly. "What does this case mean to you?"

Adam hesitated before putting a hand over his eyes and bowing his head. "She reminds me too much of myself."

"How so?" Mitch had a few ideas, but he hated not being absolutely sure.

"Well, she's an orphan at this point, no family. She was alone in the wilderness for _days_, Mitch. She was refused any medical attention. No one wants to go anywhere near her now. They won't even give her a case. She's their only suspect. These people are idiots who won't even give a _child_ a chance. What damage could a little girl _do_?" Adam ranted quietly, seething with anger and sadness because, really, all he could do at the moment was express emotion for the little girl who could barely understand why her parents weren't coming home tonight.

Mitch pursed his lips. "You're talking about your childhood. How no one gave you a chance, how everyone judged you because of your situation, how no one cared what you thought, how you couldn't defend yourself because of your age."

Adam closed his eyes. "I don't know which is worse: having stones thrown at you since you were an infant or being forced to separate from the people who care after getting a taste of what love is like. When you're beaten, it only hurts a bit because you never experienced what would it would've been like if you had people there next to you."

Adam swallowed thickly before continuing, "Bianca...She had it all. She had a family that would've protected her most of the blows. Now she has to adjust to the full force of an attack without a shield, and compared to the safety of her parents' arms, it's going to hurt a lot more."

Mitch, for once, struggled to find words. He had a rough childhood, too, but at least he had someone to feed him; a home. He couldn't sympathize with Adam because he had no experience unlike his friend. He couldn't offer consolation because there was no connection. Mitch couldn't begin to fathom what life must have been like for Adam. The demon bird never went into detail. He always left it with a shrug and a "It was rough. No home, no food, no family. I was kid surviving on his own in a kingdom where orphans were forced to be soldiers. If it doesn't sound easy, it most likely wasn't."

The two stood quiet for a few seconds. The team now silent behind them, their tirades now over. They just stood in silence, watching the two men figure out who would say the next word.

At the end of it all, however, nothing was said. There was nothing _to_ say. Mitch had never suffered in the way Adam did, and the male _had_ suffered. He suffered more than a kid his age should have. Beaten for something he couldn't control...his own sister died by his hands. Could people really think he wanted that? He hadn't. He loved Jacqueline with all of his heart, and he didn't have much time with her because of his predicament, something he didn't want. How could they treat Adam like that? The true victim here was him. Mitch felt for him.

By realizing that Adam needed to know that he was in power now, Mitch could effectively give Adam the respect he needed. Adam, after showing that long period of weakness to Mitch and his team, needed to know that they didn't think differently, didn't pity him.

The truth was, though, Mitch _did_ pity him, even if it was in silence. Their leader had gone through such a difficult childhood, and with a group of demons and monsters like them, it would do people good to treat them respectfully and with heart rather than ban and torture them like they do now. The chemical imbalance of hormones in a demon's or monster's brain is significantly different than an average person. Demons and monsters are easy to anger, and, by angering them, they start to lash out, attacking without realizing it and without remorse afterwards. By treating creatures like the team the way humans do, they are risking getting themselves killed rather than keeping themselves safe. It's easier to live with demons than to banish them.

Adam turned to the team, the anger not yet dispelled from his face. "Let's go."

The team nodded and began to follow the demon bird, knowing that a storm was coming, and Adam was going to be leading it.

Jerome didn't hesitate to catch up with Mitch just ten minutes later, not wanting to seem so obvious about what he was talking about. The two began to fall back behind the group as far as they could to avoid Adam's ears.

"You okay?" Jerome questioned, keeping his voice low.

"You should be asking Adam that," Mitch answered, equally as quiet.

"He seems so pissed."

"We all are."

"But him especially."

"You know what life was like for him. He connects with Bianca," Mitch explained, giving Jerome a knowing look.

Jerome rubbed the back of his neck and kept his hand there. "That's not a good thing. That's not even a remotely good thing."

"No," Mitch agreed, "It's not. It's very bad, but it could be something great."

Jerome looked at Mitch with curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Adam would have to talk to Bianca rather than Tiff and Ashley. He understands her better, can relate more-"

"He's also a demon, Mitch. Remember that form he took a few weeks ago? What happens if that demon comes out again?"

Mitch was about to reply when Adam's demon bird screech echoed in the forest. Jerome and Mitch snapped their attention towards the group to see Adam in the air with another flying demon.

'_It's just Adam. Not that monster,'_ Mitch thought, unable to control his sigh of relief.

Mitch looked closely at the demon. It was a pterodactyl-looking demon with scales instead of wrinkled skin. Its wings had spikes protruding from the outlines. It was mainly red with green dusting in color. It was a poisonous demon, and the spikes on its wings could launch out, much like Adam's feathers. It was a poisonous long range attacker, one of the most dangerous kinds. He wished he could tell Adam that, but he didn't want to distract their leader and get him killed.

"Mitch, what is that thing?" Jerome asked, just loud enough for the rest of the team to hear. The others looked at him. Adam could hear this conversation, and Mitch was glad Jerome gave him a better option than yelling Adam's name.

Mitch replied, keeping his attention to the still opponents in the air. "It's a Craushew, a long range poison flying demon. Be careful, Adam. If you're not paying attention, that poison will seep into you, and I don't know if can perform that kind of surgery in the middle of a forest."

"_**Weak point?"**_ Adam questioned. Mitch never really liked Adam's voice when he was a demon. It scared him a little if he was being honest, and not much scared the hunter.

"You don't really have to look for one. He's vulnerab-"

Mitch didn't even get to finish his sentence. Adam was already back in human form and standing, but the Craushew was still frozen in the air.

"Adam, wha-?" Jerome cut himself off as the Craushew split in half, falling the ground in a bloodied mess.

Adam shrugged. "It was in our way, and we have places to be."

"Okay, what has Adam been doing lately?" Jerome whispered as the team continued to walk past the Craushew's disappearing corpse. "Ever since the day he thought he was unfit to be our leader, he's gotten stronger, a _lot_ stronger. What did he do?"

"I don't know," Mitch replied. "But I hope The Count is keeping him in check…"

"**They are talking about you, human."**

"_It's called concern, Cheorm."_

"**It is called 'I will murder them.'"**

"_You know, I was so happy when I went back to the pentagram a couple weeks ago to unlock this ability to talk to you without a pentagram and just with that 'soul connection' or whatever. Now I regret it."_

"**Saying things like that make me wish I never agreed to help you. I thought we had a deal, human."**

"_Stop being so sensitive, Cheorm."_

"**I am not. You are."**

"_I'm only sensitive right now because of this case, so, you know, if you could not be a jerk, thanks."_

"**Human, you have gone through worse. This case may come close to home, but has it not before? This young girl will probably not remember this when she is older."**

"'_Probably.'"_

"**Human, do not mock me. Everything will be okay."**

"_When you say things like that, it gets me nervous."_

"**Relax. Karma is not real. I'll tell you that much."**

"_Then tell me why it always bites me in the ass every time."_

"**The Fates just do not like you."**

"_Me or you?"_

"**I refuse to answer that question."**

* * *

"That's Detective Jacob Williams?" Ashley asked quietly.

There was a middle-aged man yelling at another a man, a blonde. The man was maybe thirty with brown hair and blue eyes. He was taller, nearing six feet. Adam had a few inches on him still, however. The man was thin, almost a toothpick, but he had an air of strength around him.

"Yup. That's Detective Williams," Adam muttered.

"I can't decide whether to hate him for not taking Bianca to the hospital or to like him for actually having a heart," Jason sighed.

"I'm tossing both," Ashley responded, an emotional look in her eyes. There were too many feelings going on for the team to make out what was going on. The electricity in her eyes were flashing fast.

"Who's the blondie?" Kyle questioned, raising an eyebrow. The blonde seemed to be the superior, but Williams didn't seem to care.

"Captain Jordan Matthews. He's the one who ordered Williams to take Bianca straight here," Adam informed, his voice no less than a growl. "Let's just go meet him." Adam wanted to cut the others off from another rant. The team didn't like it, but they followed close behind their leader, ignoring all the curious looks shot their way.

"Captain Matthews, Detective Williams," Adam greeted, masking his anger and disappointment with authority.

The arguing ceased immediately.

Jordan Matthews turned to Adam and stuck out his hand. "I assume you're Mr. Nicholas Watts?"

"**Is that really the name the general gave you?"**

"_Yes, Cheorm. Now shut up."_

"Yes, and this is my team," Adam replied, shaking the man's hand when what he really wanted to do was break it.

Matthews nodded. "I apologize for the scene you saw when you arrived." With a glare at Jacob, the captain continued, "Detective Williams was just leaving."

"**Kill him, human."**

"_Later."_

Jacob Williams scoffed and turned, walking away from the group to outside. Adam brushed his fingers against his left leg. Ty left the group.

"Follow me. We'll talk more in my office," the captain said, nodding. Adam turned to his team before following Jordan.

Jerome wasn't allowed to be seen on these missions, so he tended to stay hidden, sitting on rooftops and sometimes alleyways. He was mostly the team's lookout, letting them know when something suspicious was on the rise. It seemed a bit suspicious when a brown-haired detective burst out of the precinct, only for Ty to take him by the arm gently and guide him into the alleyway swiftly. Jerome slipped to the edge of his rooftop and knelt next to brick wall so he could listen in.

"Detective Williams, right?" He heard Ty ask.

"Yeah, which one are you?"

"Aaron Paul."

"You don't look like an Aaron."

"You don't look like a Jacob."

"Touché." Jerome had to grin at that. The detective had a sense of humor.

"Tell me what happened," Ty demanded, but he phrased it more as a question. The team already had a huge bias against the police department. Jacob had better make up for his actions.

"How do I know you're not corrupted like the rest of them?"

Jerome heard Ty chuckle. "Funny. I was asking myself the same question."

'_Whoo. Jesus, Ty. Tone it down there. We're trying to question the guy, not murder him,'_ Jerome thought.

Jacob went quiet for a moment. "Bianca...That poor girl...If I had taken her to the hospital, she might as well have died in the forest. Captain Matthews would've killed her and me."

"What do you mean?"

"In a murder like this, Captain Matthews doesn't want anyone to know about it. So far, there's never been a witness. Therefore, the captain hasn't worried about it, but we also couldn't get anywhere with these cases, and no one could speak about them. Now that little Bianca's alive...He's hoping she'll die of injuries or infection soon. Sick bas-"

"Detective," Ty interrupted. "Who else knows about Bianca?"

"No one. It was just my job to get her out of the forest and to here. No one else saw her."

"Listen to me, as of now, your captain can't stand between my team. Calling us here was a big mistake. He invited us in here, so this is our jurisdiction now. Take me to Bianca's interrogation room. A couple of my teammates should be able to help her."

"She's in real bad condition, sir," Williams replied. "I don't think she'll last much longer."

"We'll leave that to my team. For now, show us where she is."

Jerome heard the two walk back into the precinct.

This was going to be really difficult, wasn't it?

* * *

"Jason, Mitch," Ty whispered between them. The two males looked at him curiously, listening between the werewolf and the conversation between their leader and the captain. "Williams is taking us to Bianca. Let's go."

The two nodded and followed their second-in-command. Jacob was waiting for them outside of the office. He was scowling at his captain so much, the three teammates were worried his face would be stuck like that.

"This way," Jacob directed, tearing his eyes away from the office and began walking towards the interrogation rooms. Ty, Jason, and Mitch followed close behind.

The precinct was pretty small. All of the desks were in the middle of the room, and the captain's office was pressed all the way in the back. Holding cells were in the hallway on the right of the entry door, and the interrogation rooms were on the left. There were a few more hallways, but the team didn't know where they led.

The three men were taken to Interrogation Room Four. Upon opening the door, Ty could not imagine a more outraged look on Mitch and Jason's faces. Ty imagined his expression was the same. The room was dingy, grey, and cold. The metal table was probably freezing. Had they not looked close enough, they would have missed the young mocha-colored girl hiding under the table. The others didn't need super hearing to hear the soft crying from the tiny person.

"Bianca?" Jason called softly.

Bianca visibly flinched even though she had her eyes closed. She was so small, too small for her age. Then again, her mother hadn't been the tallest of persons. Bianca was so thin, too. How easily she must've broken under the demon's power. The three soldiers couldn't help but wonder how much pain her fractured wrist, broken bones, and sprained ankle could be costing her.

"Bianca, hun," Jason called softly again, approaching the metal table and kneeling down.

Detective Williams closed the door.

"Bianca, sweetie, can you look at me?"

The small child weakly opened her eyes, and Jason could so clearly see the pain in them, physical and emotional. The child would never forget this week from Hell. A fiery anger in Jason flared up as he held out his hand.

"Bianca, hi. My name's Reese. Me and some of my friends are here to help you. Will you let us?"

"H-How...How do you know my name?" Bianca whispered.

Jason gestured to Detective Williams, "Mr. Williams told us your name. Do you remember Mr. Williams?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"Bianca, can you tell me what hurts?"

"M-My arm...my foot...my chest."

'_Those broken bones must've been broken ribs.'_

"Bianca, are you having trouble breathing?" Jason questioned kindly.

"N-No...Should I?"

"No, Bianca! No. You shouldn't. I need you to come here, so I can help you."

"It hurts to move…"

Jason hesitated. He began looking for options. It would hurt Bianca too much if he dragged her from under the table, even if he went under the table as well and carried her out. The table...He could try to move the table, but it was bolted to the floor like almost all interrogation rooms. Police departments tended to hold strong suspects.

Jason stood. The only option was to lift the table. He would have rip out the bolts. The Reaper looked at Mitch and Ty.

"Aaron, Dominic, help me out here?" Jason asked. Mitch and Ty nodded and moved towards the table.

"Wait, you guys aren't actually going to-"

"You might want to stand back, detective," Jason suggested. "This table could fly anywhere."

The detective stepped out the room and closed the door once again. He watched from the window as Ty, Mitch, and Jason each stood at table side. They lifted up with all their strength. Creaking was heard, an earsplitting screech, and the table went flying up. With the momentum, Ty, Jason, and Mitch threw the table towards where Detective Williams once stood. Along with that throw, the table covered the window. Jacob could no longer see inside the room. Mitch bolted the door and pressed his weight against it to keep the detective from coming in.

"Reese, make it quick," Mitch mouthed, making sure Jacob didn't hear.

Jason nodded and knelt next to the petrified five-year old. "Bianca, this will only hurt a second," he whispered.

That large scythe appeared in Jason's hand. He'd be lying if Jason said that Bianca's little scream didn't break his heart. Standing, Jason swung his arm in an arc, bringing the scythe across the little girl's body. The scythe passed right through her, not harming the kid at all, healing her instead. Bianca's eyes closed.

As soon as the little girl fell asleep, Jason swung his scythe in a full circle to put it away. He felt his world tilt sideways and his eyelids grew heavy. Ty's grip on his elbow was the only thing keeping him up.

Mitch was just barely able to kneel next to Bianca when Williams stormed in.

"What happened in here? Who was blocking the door? Why did Bianca scream?" The detective demanded.

Ty knelt down once Mitch moved to hold Jason and gently picked the little girl up. "The pain was too much for her," the werewolf lied smoothly. "Since this is our jurisdiction now, we're taking her to a safer place where she can get the help she needs. Tell your captain that. Let's go, guys."

Mitch helped Jason follow Ty out the door with only small grins at the detective. Jacob only had one thought in his mind.

'_Who are these people?'_

* * *

It was cold again. Was all the warmth in the world gone? Bianca didn't know.

When she opened her eyes, she saw that man again. The brown-haired man with the nice, blue eyes. Reese, right? Bianca liked that name.

"Bianca? Hi, sweetie," Reese greeted softly. His voice was so kind, just like mommy and daddy's. Speaking of mommy and daddy, where were they? Why was it so cold? How did she get to this dark place? Bianca was having a hard time remembering.

"Hi...Where's mommy and daddy?"

Two other men behind Reese shifted on their feet. Reese wasn't smiling anymore. Instead, Bianca could barely see his eyes because he looked away from her.

"Your parents, Bianca," Reese started. "They're going to be gone for a while."

* * *

_**Yo. We need you here with Jay like yesterday.**_

Mitch swore quietly. Ty looked at him.

"What happened?" The werewolf whispered. Jason was putting Bianca back to sleep and dodging the questions she asked about her parents. The Reaper wasn't ready to answer that yet.

"Kyle just texted me. He needs Jason and I to help with the case."

"Go then. I got her."

"I'll send Tyler and Kyle back here. On the off chance that this is a demon and not some sick yet brilliant psychopath, I want you to have backup. Besides, you can't exactly turn into a wolf in front of Bianca. Kyle and Tyler would at least be able to keep you both safe."

Ty nodded. "Alright. Looks like Jason just got Bianca to sleep. But be careful over there. I don't like that captain one bit. When I spoke to Williams, he told me about the department's corruption."

"I wouldn't doubt it. This captain is all types of screwed up," Mitch muttered as Jason walked over, an expression on his face they couldn't quite read.

"What happened?" Jason asked quietly to avoid waking Bianca.

"We need to go," Mitch answered. "Kyle and Tyler are going to come take our place here. We have to look over the case files."

Jason nodded before looking at Ty. "You'll be okay here with her?"

Ty gave Jason a blank look. "Jason, she's a five-year old girl. I can take care of her," he deadpanned.

Jason raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. But she's also a little girl who lost her parents. Be careful. We'll be back soon."

Mitch texted Kyle back, _We're on our way. Tell Adam to make sure we have every cold case file they have that relates to the case now. I want them there when we arrive._

_**Adam's already working on it.**_

_Also tell him that we're switching out places. You and Tyler are going to take Jason's and my places._

_**Right cuz of the whole 'bork, bork' thing.**_

Mitch snickered and showed the message to Ty and Jason, and both had to stifle their laughter. Ty took Mitch's phone.

_Yeah, Kyle. The 'bork, bork' thing. -Ty_

_**I heart you anyway.**_

Ty rolled his eyes, handing Mitch his phone back.

_Jason and I are on our way, Kyle. You guys better be on your way._

_**Wait, does Ty heart me back?**_

Mitch ignored the text and led Jason out of the cave they had situated themselves in on the outskirts of town.

Once they were gone, Ty looked at the small sleeping form on Jason's jacket. The Reaper had sacrificed his own warmth and gave it to Bianca, wrapping her up like a small roll. Ty felt a small smile grow on his face. Bianca was a beautiful and sweet little girl. Jason handled her so well. He talked to her so kindly and softly. He listened to her and her questions, even if he didn't directly answer. Ty had never really seen Jason care for a kid. The girls always took control of that. And the way Jason nearly blew their cover to get Bianca out from under the table without hurting her was admirable, albeit a bit risky.

It was time like this when Ty realized Jason would've been a great father. That is, if his soul wasn't sold to Death.

* * *

"I can't believe they didn't take crime scene photos," Ashley growled, circling the parents' bed that was now stripped of covers.

"They better not have touched anything else," Tiff muttered, slipping on the latex gloves Adam offered them.

Tiff, Ashley, and Adam were at the Hills' home, searching for anything CSU might have left behind. Jerome was still surveying the police department. Mitch and Jason had swapped positions with Tyler and Kyle. Ty was with Bianca back at the cave.

"Girls, I understand you're pissed at the department," Adam sighed, slipping on his own pairs of gloves. "We all are, but for now, let's just get this done."

Ashley gave a mock salute before putting on her pair of gloves. "Yes, sir."

Adam gave her a deadpan look. She raised her hands in surrender.

Adam left the parents' room and began to walk around the house. He peeked into Bianca's room. The room was completely trashed. Her lamp was smashed on the floor, her sheets were thrown off her bed, her window was cracked...Adam could go on. If the leader didn't know better, he would say that there had been a struggle.

But Adam _did_ know better.

He knew enough to realize that a five-year old girl could not cause this much damage to her room, not even in a deliberate tantrum. This was clumsily made to seem like Bianca put up a fight during the kidnapping. But that didn't make any sense…

Adam raced out the room and down the stairs, catching Tiff's attention. The pink-haired girl came out of the parents' room before heading to see what Adam had found in Bianca's room. Meanwhile, Adam had bolted to the front door. When the three of them had walked into the Hills' house, the door was perfectly fine, shut and locked like normal, but if there was a kidnapping during the night when everyone was asleep, there had to be a break-in.

Unless the Hills knew the killer.

Checking the front door, back door, and the patio door locks, Adam found that no door had been damaged or picked. No window was busted either besides Bianca's, but that window was just cracked, not broken. The window's screen hadn't even been cut.

So who took Bianca to the forest?

There couldn't have been a kidnapping that night.

"Adam, what did you find?" Tiff asked, coming down the stairs with Ashley as their leader paced the living room in deep thought.

"**Human, what are you thinking?"**

"_There was no way Bianca was kidnapped the night of her parents' murders. She had to have been taken the morning after."_

"**Impossible. The law enforcement arrived first thing in the morning when that little girl called them."**

"_Unless her kidnapper got here immediately after the call. The killer must've had to act quickly, but, Cheorm, there is no sign of a break-in. Bianca must've known the killer."_

"**How do you know the murderer is human? How do you know it is not a demon who can slide under doors? Did you think about that?"**

"_Yeah. I did. When Jason came back to the precinct, he said that when he asked Bianca about the person who took her, she said it was a tall person. The person she described was human. She couldn't remember exactly what the killer looked like, she lost her memory, but all she said was that he looked familiar. Last time I checked, Bianca didn't know a demon."_

"**What you are saying is is that the killer came to this house, murdered the girl's parents, left, then returned to capture her? Human, that makes no sense."**

"_It does if the killer has two roles."_

"**Are you implying that the murderer could work at the precinct?"**

"_That precinct is one of the most corrupt places I have seen, Cheorm. One of them has to be the murderer."_

"**You came to that conclusion rather quickly."**

"_Yeah, well, I just want to make sure it's right."_

"Tiff, Ash, we're going back to the precinct," Adam declared, stopping his pacing and looking at the bewildered females. "I think I have an idea of what happened here."

* * *

"I mean, it's a valid argument," Jason defended. "This precinct is as corrupt as they come."

"_But why would the killer leave then return?"_ Ty asked from over the phone. "_It makes no sense."_

"Well, if it's like what Adam says," Mitch started. "No one would question a police officer investigating a crime scene then taking a young witness back. It would just be standard procedure."

The team at the precinct had situated themselves in a small office, shutting the door and making sure no one was listening in. This allowed them to use their real names and not their fake ones. It was a little unusual calling each other their aliases.

Jerome had joined Ty, Kyle, and Tyler back at the cave and was keeping out of Bianca's sight, but as far as they knew, Bianca was still knocked out. Jason's healing with his scythe had not only tired out the Reaper, but the little girl as well.

"But how could a human kill the Hills the way they did?" Tiff asked. "It's almost supernatural. They bled out without any seen wounds."

Jason hesitated. "There is one way, but it's so farfetched, it's nearly impossible."

"Anything sounds good right now, Jason," Adam replied with a sigh.

"Well, it's called hemophilia," Jason started. "It's a bleeding disorder where the victims start to lose a lot of blood fast by even the smallest of wounds. It's a deficiency in a factor called VIII, a clotting protein. Without VIII, cuts can be a major hazard to the victims."

"_But there was no cut on the victims, Jason,"_ Tyler countered.

"We're relying on any _seen_ wounds. That's where I think this case is going sideways," Jason replied. "Ashley, where's the M.E. report?"

Ashley lifted up her laptop and handed the file underneath to Jason. "Here, I think... I dunno if that's the right one."

Jason took it from her and opened it. "Yeah, it's the right one," he confirmed. Jason went silent for a moment. "Yup! Here!" He pointed to the picture of Mrs. Hills' dead body. The others in the office looked at the picture before looking back at Jason, not seeing what the genius was seeing.

"Jason, what are we supposed to be looking at?" Tiff asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Really? You guys seriously don't see it?" Jason replied, seriously believing that the team was joking.

"We don't see it, Jay," Adam responded, a slight laugh in his voice.

"Oh my God…" The Reaper traced a very thin white line on Mrs. Hills' right arm, a scar that was barely visible in the picture. Jason then took out Mr. Hills' picture and traced the exact same scar in the exact same location. There were several other large wounds on their body that had scarred over as well.

"These must have been stitched up a couple days ago," Jason confirmed. "But the stitches had to come out somehow." Jason looked at Adam. "I think we should have a talk with our medical examiner."

Adam had never agreed more.

* * *

"Well, now that Adam's about to rip apart the medical examiner with Jason, maybe we should talk to Bianca a little more," Ty suggested after ending the call.

"I don't know about waking her," Kyle replied slowly.

"Why not?" Tyler questioned.

"Well, Jason's the one who's been talking to her the most. She knows him much better than us. She doesn't even know me and you, Tyler, and she's only seen Ty, not talked to him. We should wait for Jay. She'd be way more comfortable," Kyle explained.

"Yeah, makes sense…" Tyler agreed. Ty nodded, looking at the still sleeping child

'_Who knew a child could sleep so long?'_ Ty thought. '_But I guess especially after this week, she must've been exhausted, but she hasn't even had a nightmare yet. Detective Williams had said that she had been having nightmares in the interrogation room, so why isn't she having them now? I suppose I should be grateful for that. I wouldn't know how to comfort her. Maybe it's Jason's jacket. Bianca had told them the interrogation room was as cold as the forest cave she was left in. Maybe Jason's jacket provides warmth that reminds her of her parents. No. Maybe I'm thinking too far into it. Just let the little girl rest.'_

A shuffling noise next to Ty snapped the second-in-command out of his thoughts. Jerome was getting restless. The Bacca didn't like being cooped up like this on missions. Jerome often felt like he was no help on these mission, which wasn't true at all. Ty knew Jerome would rather be on a rooftop than in a cold cave right now.

This case needed to be solved soon. Bianca deserved for this nightmare to end. This just wasn't fair. It never was.

* * *

Adam slammed his hands on the empty examining table in front of them, his eyes clouded with fury, scaring the M.E..

"Did you remove those stitches from the victims?!" Adam demanded, his voice a loud growl.

"U-Um, y-yes," the male M.E. replied.

"So why did you fail to mention that in your report?!"

"C-Captain Matthews t-told me n-not to."

"It's not about the captain! It's about legality and your job security! Tell me, did you not think it was important for those stitches to be mentioned?!"

"C-Captain M-Matthews said-"

"This isn't about Captain Matthews!" Adam interrupted. "Did you not think it was important for those stitches to be mentioned?!"

"I-I did."

"So why didn't you note them in your report like your job is supposed to do?!"

While Adam was yelling at the medical examiner, Jason had travelled to the storages where Mr. and Mrs. Hills were. Pulling open the drawers, Jason began to examine the corpses, wondering just what else the M.E. had failed to mention in his report that couldn't be seen in the picture.

"Nick."

Adam looked over. "Yeah?"

"These needle marks also weren't mentioned."

Adam walked over to the dead bodies and looked at the wrists Jason held up. Needle marks scarred their skin, and it was a wonder why the Hills didn't notice them.

"These needle marks are older than the wounds the stitches covered up," Jason informed, glaring at the terrified medical examiner. "Have you even tested their DNA?"

"Y-Yes."

"And?"

"They were positive for a condition called-"

"-hemophilia. You're pretty late for that, considering you failed to mention that in your report as well." Jason was pissed. "Are you trying to make this more difficult than it needs to be? Are you trying to lose your job?"

"It was Captain Matthew's orders!" The medical examiner was trying to defend himself, but it wasn't working.

"Nick, this is how they contracted hemophilia. They weren't born with it," Jason said. "The murderer must've injected them with infected O-neg blood a long time beforehand."

"This _was_ premeditated then," Adam muttered. "Their killer had been planning this for a very long time."

Jason nodded. "A really long time. The Hills had no past drug abuse. These marks aren't from some wild teenage nights. This was from the killer."

Adam nodded. "Let's go see what Kristin has to say about it."

* * *

"Captain Matthews, huh?" Ashley asked, typing away at her computer. "Good thing we all hated him. Makes me feel great about putting him away."

"We don't know for sure yet, Ash," Adam replied, standing behind her chair. "Just find what you can. See if he has any medical background."

The rest of the team had either gone back to the cave or where looking for the forest cave Bianca was taken to. Maybe they would find something there.

Jason was seated next to Ashley. "I bet he used to work at a hospital or at least volunteers. He has to be connected to this somehow."

"Even if he doesn't," Adam started. "I'll still have his ass for withholding information on the case."

"That's the Adam I know and love," Ashley snickered.

Adam rolled his eyes, a smile on his face. "Anything, Ash?"

"Let's see…" Ashley went quiet for a moment, reading over Jordan Matthews' file. "Here! It says that Jordan volunteers at blood banks on weekends! Someone must've had...whatever the condition was-"

"-hemophilia," Jason supplied.

"Yeah, that, too, and donated. Either that or someone didn't do their job right," Ashley concluded.

"Or someone knew _exactly_ what they were doing and did their job correctly," Adam muttered.

Adam was about to leave the room to confront Jordan when his phone began to ring. It was Mitch. Adam answered the phone and put in on speaker.

"Yeah?" Adam asked. It was a three-way call again. He could hear Kyle, Tiff, and Tyler talking in the background, but they were at the base cave while Mitch was at the forest cave with Jerome.

"_Guys, we got a gold mine over here,"_ Jerome said, disbelief coating his voice. "_Our guy was sloppy, definitely not organized."_

"What?" Adam questioned. That went against everything Jason, Ashley, and him had found.

"_There's notes, blood, blood bags, syringes, insurance papers...We think this guy killed the Hills for money that Bianca was going to inherit, but the will was never finalized. None of it's going to him. So we're not sure if that's the motive,"_ Mitch answered. "_And you wouldn't believe the idiot."_

"_What happened?"_ Ty asked from the base cave. "_What'd he do?"_

"_He may have his badge, but the murderer's driver's license is right in front of us,"_ Jerome scoffed. "_We're arresting Captain Jordan Matthews."_

"But you said the cave was a mess," Adam replied. "Everything in the crime was premeditated, clearly thought and planned out. Why change his style? It makes no sense."

"_Maybe he just wanted to keep people from thinking he was two different people,"_ Tyler suggested. "_Distance himself from the killer."_

"Or it could be that he has a split personality," Ashley added. "Looking at his medical records, Matthews has been suffering from split personality disorder for years. Ever since he was nine, his parents claimed that he heard voices in his head and sometimes talked to people who weren't even there. Every now and again, Matthews would go through these extreme mood swings, kind and patient at first, then angry and aggressive the next. This guy is literally out of his mind. How did he get this job?"

"_We have everything we need,"_ Mitch concluded. "_We have motive, probably the insurance money, we have him at the cave where Bianca was held, his driver's license…We even have a sewing kit that he used to stitch up the wounds. The syringes and bloods bags are just icing on the cake. Then he had the medical examiner take them out because it was 'irrelevant.'"_

"He worked at a blood bank," Jason continued. "Which is where he got the blood containing hemophilia. We have the mood swings down: split personality disorder. Guys, we have him down to the core."

"_But how'd he get in without forced entry?"_ Tiff questioned. "_I doubt the Hills would let in the captain into their house in the middle of the night, not to mention that he left Bianca there to suffer."_

"I think that's where his mental disorder comes in," Jason answered. "It says in the captain's file that Matthews often stayed at the Hills' house after fights with his wife. The Hills and the captain were really close. From there, he must've suffered a break in one of his visits and set his plan into motion. He injected the infected blood during their sleep and waited a few months. He either waited, or his next psychotic break came through. From there, in his next stay, he wounded each of the parents, skillfully enough to not wake them. They bled out, and the _killer_ left the house. The _captain_ came back first thing the next morning as soon as he remembered that the Hills were dead."

Adam caught on. "So maybe he had another break at the scene, trashed Bianca's room, then grabbed her and ran. None of this was thought out. He just suffered from psychosis. He was just plain crazy."

"_If that's the case,"_ Kyle sighed. "_Then we're screwed."_

"_What do you mean?"_ Jerome asked.

Mitch growled. "_The lawyers will plead insanity, and his case will be handled a lot differently."_

"_That's a thing?!"_ Jerome exclaimed.

"Yep," Adam answered, annoyed at this fact. "I know it was by accident, but it still doesn't change the fact that Bianca lost her parents to Matthew's hands. I'm arresting him, and he better serve time. We did our part. The prosecutors will do the rest. Nice work, guys. Jason, let's go."

Jason nodded and followed Adam out of the office. The two confidently strolled right past the bullpen and straight to the captain's office, ignoring the stares as Adam stole open handcuffs and its key lying on an empty desk as they walked by. Adam pushed open the door, and he didn't care if he was interrupting another argument between the captain and Detective Williams, which he, in fact, was.

Jason and Adam moved to opposite sides of Jordan and lifted him to his feet.

"What? What are you doing? Get your hands off me!" The captain exclaimed, demanding an answer. Detective Williams just looked on in shock. He wasn't shocked that Williams was guilty, but surprised at the fact that Matthews was finally getting what he deserved.

"Captain Jordan Matthews, you are under arrest for the murders of Keena and Chris Hills. You have the right to remain silent," Adam recited, clamping the handcuffs around the captain's wrists while Jason kept Jordan from struggling. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you." The two teammates began to walk the captain out the door and to the holding cells. "Do you understand the rights I have read to you?"

"I know my rights!" Jordan yelled angrily. "And you're making a mistake! I'll kill you for this!"

Adam and Jason grinned at each other. They did say he had the right to remain silent, and if he didn't, anything he said could be used against him. That threat was definitely to their advantage.

What an idiot.

* * *

Adam, Ashley, and Jason stepped into the base cave at the same as Mitch and Jerome, a look of triumph on their faces. At this, the team let out a collective sigh of relief and accomplishment. The bad guy was caught.

Now what about Bianca? Magma Block City Orphanage was often overlooked because of the city's bad reputation and not many funds went toward it, making it one of the worst orphanages in the county. She couldn't go there. There had to be a better option.

Adam looked at the younger girl in sadness. There was too much of him in her, and that was never a good thing. He was completely messed up from his parents' abandonment and Jaq's death. It wasn't fair to her. Bianca didn't deserve that. She had a loving family that cared so much about her, a family Adam never had.

Adam could feel the team's eyes on them as he and Jason walked towards Bianca, who was just waking up. Jason knelt next to Bianca, a smile already on his face. Adam supposed this was a rare mission where Tiff and Ashley could take a break from talking to kids. Jason seemed to have it under control.

"Hi, hun," Jason greeted sweetly as Bianca opened her eyes and yawned.

"Hi," Bianca replied quietly, sitting up and crossing her legs, putting one hand in her lap and using the other to wipe her eyes. Jason covered her once again with his jacket that had fallen off her shoulders. Jason had thinned out a lot lately, so now most of his clothes were big on him. If he could barely fit his clothes, Bianca's abnormally small form was almost completely enveloped in the jacket.

"When is mommy and daddy coming back?" Bianca asked again. Jason bit the inside of his cheek. She had been asking that so many times, but Jason had never given her a complete answer. The look on Adam's face said it was time.

"Bianca, did your parents ever take you somewhere, and you weren't allowed to go inside?" Jason asked. He could feel the curious gazes of his teammates wondering just where he was going with this, but he ignored them.

Bianca tilted her head and looked at the ceiling in thought. It took a few seconds before she answered. "Yeah! There was a store that daddy went in, and mommy had to stay with me 'cause little kids can't go inside. When daddy came back, he had a big, brown bag with a heavy bottle inside."

Adam watched Jason's face drop. That had not been the answer the Reaper was expecting. Adam knew little kids weren't allowed in liquor stores, but that had not been what the team was looking for. It still worked for whatever Jason was thinking, though, because the brunette continued.

"So this was only a place big people could go, right?" Jason asked.

Bianca nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"Well, Bianca," Jason started, taking a deep breath. "The place where your parents went is kinda like that store your daddy went into. It's a place where kids shouldn't go. People are really sad when little kids go to this place."

"I don't like it when people are sad," Bianca commented, that little kid talk coating her voice, her little innocence. "But why did mommy and daddy go?"

Jason hesitated. "Your parents didn't really want to go, but they had to. Have you ever done something you didn't want to do, but you had to?"

Bianca nodded. "Mommy used to make me clean up my toys."

Jason smiled. "Yeah, it's like that. Your mommy and daddy had to go to this place that little kids like you shouldn't go because they had to, not because they wanted to."

"When will they come back?" Bianca questioned, her big brown orbs staring cutely into Jason's blue ones.

Jason swallowed thickly. "Um, they won't be coming back for a very long time."

"Because they have to stay there, right?"

At this, Tiff left the cave to keep from crying in front of Bianca. Ashley took the excuse of comforting her to leave. The guys weren't exactly enjoying this either. As a matter of fact, they felt bad that Jason had to explain this, but the Reaper understood what it was like to watch your parents die. After all, Jason's parents were burned to death in front of his very eyes.

"Yeah...That's right," Jason replied, smiling, but Adam could see his friend's eyes start to water. "You're pretty smart." Jason ruffled Bianca's hair, causing the little girl to giggle.

"Thank you," Bianca beamed. The guys savored the cute little laugh Bianca had.

"You're going to miss your parents, Bianca," Jason continued softly. "But they'll always be with you. They still love you, no matter how far away they are. Remember that, okay?"

Bianca nodded. "Okay! Since you're a grownup, can you tell them that I love them, too?"

Jason opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Adam felt his heart break for Jason. That must've hurt him. Jason's job was very difficult. He had to reap these souls that didn't want to leave just yet, and now a little girl was asking him to tell her dead parents she loved them.

And it hurt because Jason could do it, but he wasn't allowed to. His job was to send souls away, not deliver messages. It was so difficult for him.

"I'll do my best," Jason whispered. It wasn't a promise, but it wasn't a rejection either. Jason was going to be arguing with the Grim Reaper in the forest later.

Jason wasn't expecting Bianca to throw her arms around his neck, giving him a tight hug. Jason hesitated before placing a hand between her shoulder blades and another on her lower back, returning the hug. It was a fierce embrace from Bianca, but Jason held her as if he was never gonna let her go.

Adam just sat himself down opposite of them and watched the two hold each other. Adam had been so focused on himself, he hadn't stopped to think how Jason might have felt. Jason had watched his parents die, became an orphan like Adam, fought to survive like Adam...How could Adam forget about Jason? How selfish of him…

"Bianca, it's time to go," a gruff yet kind voice called. To the team's disbelief, General Grey walked into the cave, a stunned Tiff and Ashley following behind.

Bianca released her arms around Jason's neck and looked over at the cave entrance. "Okay, Mr. Grey!" Bianca gave a small kiss on Jason's cheek. Jason froze. "Bye, Reese!" The little girl got up and ran towards General Grey.

"Bianca, this girl is going to take you to the car, okay? Follow her," General Grey ordered kindly, a smile on his face as he gestured to Ashley.

"Okay!" Bianca answered, taking Ashley's outstretched hand and walking out of the cave. Once Bianca had left the cave, the general turned to the rest of the team, knowing they had questions.

"Grey?" Jerome questioned, coming out of the shadows of the cave where he had been hiding out of Bianca's sight. "What are you doing here? How did Bianca know you?"

"I came by before you guys first arrived, talked to Bianca while she was in the interrogation room. I couldn't take her because you hadn't arrived yet. I got friendly with her. It's not hard to make a kid trust you," Grey explained. "This way, it's easier to take her to foster care."

"Grey, she can't stay at this town's orphanage," Mitch replied quietly. "This is one of the worst orphanages out there."

Grey shook his head sadly. "There's nothing I can do. She belongs to this city. I can't take her anywhere else. It's against the law. She has to. All we can do is pray that she has a happy ending. Sorry, guys," Grey sighed before leaving the cave.

"That's not fair to those kids," Tiff muttered, kicking a stray pebble.

"At least they have a better shot at survival than the rest of us did," Kyle replied, leaning against the cave wall.

Tiff looked at the males. As far as she knew, they had all been abandoned at one point or another while her and Ashley had their parents until they reached the age of sixteen or seventeen. Tiff's mother had been dead for five years, but Tiff was turning twenty-one in seven months. Her mom had missed her eighteenth birthday and was now going to miss Tiff's twenty-first. Adam never even had a birthday with family. Come to think of it, he hadn't had a birthday with the team either. When even was Adam's birthday? They all celebrated theirs, what about Adam?

Tiff's train of thought was cut off by a tap on the shoulder. Jerome gave her a smile before guiding her out of the cave with all the other guys besides Adam and Jason. The two were still kneeling where Bianca had been, both looking sadder than ever. She understood and left without complaint.

Adam gave a thankful nod to Ty as the werewolf followed everyone out of the cave. Ty nodded back before leaving. The leader looked at his friend across from him. Jason was staring at his fallen jacket. He hadn't even picked it up yet. The Reaper was still frozen from the kiss Bianca had given him.

Adam sighed. "Jason, I-"

"If you're going to apologize, don't."

Adam looked at his friend, wide-eyed. "Jason…"

"Adam, you are entitled to how you feel, just like how I hadn't realized what you were going through until an hour ago. I had thought you were just angry like the rest of us in the forest on our way here. I wasn't wrong, but I wasn't entirely right either." Jason looked up at Adam, who had looked away. "I guess we were either selfish, or angry, or some other third thing that I can't figure out."

"Jason-"

"Whatever it was, I don't blame you. You're a leader, and we were on a mission. It wasn't about us, it was about Bianca, so you don't need to worry about me or us. It's fine. I'll get over it eventually."

At this point, Jason was just talking just to talk. Adam knew he only did this when Jason felt claustrophobic, trapped in a conversation he didn't feel comfortable in. It was a way for Jason to keep himself calm. Jason had watched his family _burn_, and he was just a little kid. Maybe twelve years old. Adam couldn't remember Jason's exact age, but all he knew was that Jason wasn't alright when Adam and Ty found him for the first time.

Knowing this, Adam silenced the other male with a hug, one Jason wasn't expecting. Jason tensed, but he soon melted into Adam's arms, small sobs escaping him. Adam rested his chin on Jason's head, silent. It's what Jason needed.

"**The human is touching me."**

"_Cheorm, for the love of God, could you not ruin every sentimental moment I have with my team?"_

Adam heard Cheorm click his tongue in reply. An eye roll would've come with it. "**What happened to him anyway?"**

"_When he was a kid, an intruder came into their home and burned his parents alive. He was never caught, and it doesn't help that Jason doesn't really remember. The vision of his parents burning are all too clear in his mind and block out everything else."_

"**I could help him."**

"_After the stunt you pulled a few weeks ago? No thanks."_

"**You were traumatized over a **_**training simulation**_**. I had every right to believe you couldn't handle that demon. And it was not a **_**stunt**_**. How dare you say that? It was a **_**performance…**_**."**

Adam rolled his eyes, grateful that Jason couldn't see. "_Cheorm!" _

"**What, human?**"

"_Can I just be with my teammate now?"_

Adam didn't receive a reply, but he felt a fluttering in his chest as Cheorm nestled down, falling asleep. Adam smiled and tightened his hold around Jason.

"At first," Jason started, crying. Adam looked down at the brunette, surprised at the sudden talking. "I thought I couldn't imagine what Bianca had gone through, that nothing could compare to something so terrible. Then I realized that not only could I imagine what she was going through, but the fact that I already went through those emotions. I could've told her it never gets easier, that those feelings of sadness and pain never go away. You'll always feel like you could've done something even though you came to terms with the fact you _couldn't_. I couldn't do that to her."

"She's five, Jason," Adam murmured softly. "She probably won't even remember this, and if she does, there'll be little to no heartbreak. She wouldn't remember them, and she wouldn't be so disappointed. As for feeling like you could've done something, well, you couldn't have. You were young, just like Bianca. You weren't the powerful and smart person you are now. You were _afraid_, and that was understandable. Your parents were scared, too. Scared for you, scared for themselves. Your parents died thinking they couldn't protect you, that they failed their job as your guardians-"

"But they didn't fail," Jason persisted. "They did what they could."

"And so did you," Adam shot back. "You did what you could, and, yeah, maybe that wasn't much, and, yeah, maybe you didn't save your parents, but you did what you could have. So did they. It's not your fault that they're gone. It's not Bianca's fault her parents are gone, either. It's a hard thing to come accept after blaming yourself for years, but it's true. It's about time you started to believe and act on this fact, rather than just come to terms with it."

Adam felt Jason tighten his hold around his friend's waist. "Thank you, Adam."

Adam buried his face Jason's hair, his own tears slipping out. "It's okay, Jason. I got you."

Adam wiped away his own tears before looking at Jason's teary face. Adam cleaned off the Reaper's face for him before saying, "Let's go back to the team."

* * *

Jerome threw himself on the couch, sprawled out. Mitch lifted up one the Bacca's legs and sat down beside him, placing Jerome's legs on his lap.

"Why do I even go on the missions if I'm just going to sit around the whole time and do nothing?" Jerome murmured so quietly, Mitch only caught a few words.

Unfortunately for Jerome, Ty and Adam caught it all.

"Okay, _stop_," Ty started. "You did help us."

"Bull. Most I did was go to a cave and help Mitch search through papers. That's it."

"Well, I mean, it's not like you _never_ do anything," Adam replied, sitting down with Ty on the opposite couch. "This mission just didn't have as much to do."

"Whatever." Jerome clearly wasn't in the mood to be persuaded. Ty and Adam sighed as the rest of the team settled around. Mitch merely patted Jerome's leg in sympathy.

"Nice work, guys," Adam began, stretching his arms. "Like always."

The praise from the leader sent smiles around the team, causing them to do some action in embarrassment. Adam grinned. He enjoyed it when his team acted all self-conscious and flustered after a compliment like that. They looked like little kids who got caught tracking mud in the house, which they have done more than they should, much to Adam's discontent.

"Thanks, Adam," Kyle replied quietly. It always happened like that. One of them would thank Adam for the compliment, speaking as the whole team.

Adam chuckled silently and stood, causing the team to look up at him. "Why don't we all go to bed? It's late, and the past few days have been long."

That sounded like a great idea to the others. Even though they had just relaxed and gotten comfortable in the Lounge, the thought of a shower was more appealing. The idea of relaxing under hot water sounded great.

The team got up from their seats and exited the room, one at a time, talking quietly amongst themselves. Adam stayed behind, watching them go. When they were finally gone, Adam started to sit back down when his phone began to buzz.

"Adam," he answered.

"_Adam, it's Grey."_

"Hey," he greeted, lowering himself into his previous seat. "What's going on?"

"_Just wanted you to know that Bianca is situated in the orphanage and is okay."_

Adam sighed. "That's, um...That's good, I guess."

Adam could hear Grey's tired sigh. "_Look, I know you guys aren't happy about it, but that's the way it goes sometimes. But that's not all I wanted to say."_

"What else?"

"_I had the lab put a rush on the syringes and blood bags from the cave. The blood tested positive for hemophilia and Matthews' fingerprints are all over the syringes. We have him."_

Adam grinned. "Good. Good. That's really good news. Thanks, Grey."

"_No problem. And, Adam?"_

"Yeah?"

"_Don't be too hard on yourself. You gave Bianca the best ending she could've gotten from this situation, and you did a job well done. Give yourself a pat on the back instead of beating yourself up, okay?"_

"Yeah. Thanks, Grey."

"_Any time. Good night.'_

"Good night." Adam hung up the phone and sighed, lowering his head.

"**Human? Is everything alright?"**

"_Cheorm, I'm fine."_

"**Are you sure? It does not seem so."**

"_Well, okay, I'll be fine sooner or later."_

"**I am starting to doubt you and your truthfulness."**

"_Well, that's just rude, Cheorm. I thought we were a team."_

"**Human!"**

"_Fine, fine,"_ Adam replied, opening his eyes just to roll them in exasperation. "_It's Jason. This case must've been harder on him than myself. He really saw Bianca in himself. I mean, think about it, Cheorm. Jason's parents were murdered when he was just a little kid, and it happened right before his very eyes."_

"**How did it happen?"**

"_Well...he felt the heat of the flames, the fire, in his sleep. So, he went downstairs. His parents were tied to their fireplace, trying to keep their sobbing to a minimum to keep Jason from hearing. Jason saw the man's face, but it's been so long, he can't even remember. He was also more focused on his parents than anything else. His father was yelling at him, ordering him to leave the house, to call the police. _

"_Just as Jason was about to leave, the man flicked the match onto his father's lap. The fire spread across the gasoline he had previously poured on them. Jason watched his father burn before running out the door. He reached the police station, but his parents were dead and the man was long gone. _

"_From there, Jason ran. He ran far away from his own town, stumbled into a forest. He was met with the Grim Reaper, who explained to him what his father had done before he died. His father had signed that contract that caused Jason to become a Reaper for the rest of his life, and Reapers don't die. Jason then met me and Ty not too long later."_

"**Sounds like the human has been through a lot."**

Adam chuckled. "_Yeah, you could say that."_

"**How does this case remind the human about the child?"**

"_Cheorm, really?"_

"**Yes, Human. I paid little to no attention."**

Adam sighed. "_To sum it all up, the captain had a mental disorder that gave him split personalities. The Hills' let the captain stay at the house many times after a fight with his wife. During one of his stays, he suffered from a psychotic break. Since he worked at blood banks in his spare time, the captain could have taken blood purposefully from an undiagnosed person who suffered from hemophilia, a bleeding disorder. In one of his stays, he suffered from another break and injected the blood into the Hills while they slept. He then cut their arms during another visit and watched them bleed out. He stitched up their wounds and ran. He waited until Bianca called 911 before stepping in. He took her into his cruiser and to the forest where he kept her and beat her for three days. From there on, Bianca was too scared to point out the captain. Get it?"_

"**Why would he kill the Hills? Where is the motive?"**

"_There is none. He just suffered a psychotic break."_

"**How do you know he is truly the killer then? This is all speculation."**

"_Actually, it isn't. Grey got a call from Detective Williams before we left Magma Block. When Mitch went over the cold cases I got from him, there were three other murders exactly like the Hills. One of the things they had in common was that they had frequent contact with Captain Matthews. Also, Ashley talked to some of the neighbors in the area that never came forward and found that they had seen the captain carrying blood bags during the night. Not only that, but the captain confessed thirty minutes into interrogation. He had no confidence. He cracked under the slightest of pressure. And now I just found out that his fingerprints are on the syringes."_

"**This was a very **_**interesting**_ **case."**

"_Yeah. You could say that. Anyways, Jason sees himself in Bianca because of the similarities. They lost their parents at young ages, their parents were murdered, they were powerless to stop the killers...I could go on."_

"**What about you, Human? How do you feel? Has anyone even thought to ask you?"**

"_Mitch did before the case started."_

"**And?"**

"_Well, I told him that I thought it wasn't fair. She's like me, too. She didn't do anything wrong, and the world just destroyed her life anyway. Everyone turned their backs on her once her family died. She was abandoned, left to survive on her own in the woods for three days at the hands of a psychopath. I was left abandoned at the hands of a dangerous kingdom with a psychotic king."_

"**As far as I can see, I believe she still had life handed to her on a silver platter."**

"_How can you be so insensitive to what Bianca's going through right now, Cheorm? She only got five years with her parents, five years she will never remember. She won't remember the warmth of her parents' hugs, how they kissed her goodnight, how they said 'I love you,' how they laughed with her...She will never have that or remember that again. Her chances to be adopted at that orphanage is slim to none, Cheorm."_

"**It matters not if she remembers. The little human at least had love. You did not."**

"_I do now. And this team, should anything ever happen, is something I will never forget. I will forever remember them, The Count, General Grey, you."_

"**Human, I am going nowhere."**

"_I know. But I might. Who knows how long I'll live for? I already died once. When's the next time? When does the fear go away? When does the scar on my chest stop telling I'm not immortal, that one day I won't breathe again, and everyone I care about moves on without me? When does it stop? I'm sure Bianca's parents felt the same: knowing they would one day have to leave behind their daughter to survive without them. It's how I feel about the team. When I die, who takes care of them?"_

"**I do not suppose saying 'I would' will soothe you."**

"_They're terrified of us."_

"**Of me. Not you, Human. The team only fears your anger, your resolve, your lack of confidence…"**

"_So...me?"_

"**...Yes, I suppose so."**

Adam stood and stretched, lavishing the pops in his back as his muscles relaxed. "_I'm going to take a shower and relax for a while. You up for a flight before sleep?"_

"**You are suggesting a flight **_**after**_ **a shower, Human?"**

"_...Yeah, that might not be the smartest idea in the world."_

"**No, it is not."**

"_Fine. We'll go for a flight, find a waterfall, take a small dip, and then come back to take a shower."_

"**...A waterfall sounds refreshing."**

Adam grinned. "_That's why I suggested it, Cheorm."_

"**Watch what you say. Tread carefully, Human."**

Adam smiled. He walked out of the Lounge, out of the base, and into the cold outside air.

"_You ready?"_

"**Always will be."**

Adam took great pleasure in transforming. His feathers ruffled in the wind. With a powerful push, Adam launched into the sky, higher and higher until he reached the clouds. The gales of wind flowed over and below his wings as he soared like an arrow launched from a bow. Adam's bright orange eyes, built for withstanding high speeds in drastic conditions, refused to overflow with tears from the pressure.

The thicket of trees from the forest below him soon warped into a plains. The plains soon became a tundra before immediately switching into a desert.

Adam could feel rumbling and tickling in his chest and knew Cheorm was enjoying this freedom as much as he was. After a case like this one, all Adam needed to do was clear his head. He needed to get away from the ones he saved and the ones he couldn't.

On flights like these, Adam could think. His thoughts were heard by Cheorm, who never responded until after Adam met him at the pentagram. Although Adam's thoughts may no longer be private, he was actually okay with that. Knowing that humans could be monsters too wasn't something easy to swallow. Adam dealt with demons sent from Lucifer himself to kill him and his team on a daily basis. Realizing that the humans he protected could be just as vicious made him question if his job was actually worth it.

Because honestly, who was he saving? He protects a human by killing a demon, but a human will go around and kill someone else. It was a never ending cycle that Adam wanted no part in. He had to, though. It was his job. It was his job to put down monsters, and, sometimes, those monsters were human, just like the captain he arrested hours ago.

"**Human."**

"_Yes?"_

"**Are you okay?"**

Adam came to a stop as he perched upon a mountaintop. He was above the world. Rivers flowed, trees clustered together, and clouds passed not too far above him. Adam could hear the animals of the forest and sky all around him. It all felt so calm, so serene. The wind gently ruffled his feathers as Adam smiled.

"_Never better."_

**And that's that! I hope you all enjoyed! Again, so sorry this took so long to get out. This was my first real hand at a supernatural-ish crime so please bear with me on this one. Also, I am thinking about a real, plot-lined story for The Days of the Unknown. It'll be about twenty to thirty chapters. Let me know what you think! Until then, stay safe, take care, God bless, love you, and...DARKSOMEONE41 SIGNING OUT! SEE YA!**


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